Healing a Broken Spirit
by Randall Flagg2000
Summary: Kagome lives a life of misery, courtesy of her sadistic father. One day she confesses to her childhood friend Inuyasha and he and the others decide to help Kagome live a normal life. But her father is looking for her... and he's dangerous...
1. Life of Misery

I had to revise this since it was written late at night and in my opinion it was pretty crappy. I doubt you'll read this revised chapter, but I really suggest you do since it will influence a portion an upcoming chapter. Even more, I made Isamu a doctor since this will also be essential to the story. So read it over if you feel the urge. It's a good idea to since you might not get the rest of the story if you don't.  
  
Now read my greatest work yet. -Randall Flagg2  
  
She awoke slowly. Her body still hurt from last night. And why wouldn't it? After what Isamu had done to her anybody would hurt. Higurashi Kagome slowly got out of bed and let out a hiss of pain as an incredible pain shot up her body. Her ribs still hurt from last night. At least they hadn't been broken. Isamu had checked her body over carefully to make sure there was nothing broken. If she had a broken bone, that would mean a trip to the hospital and Isamu didn't want that. But what difference would that make? He had the money to afford it. Even more, he worked there.  
  
Groaning, Kagome went to her dresser and dressed. Nylon socks, a pair of plain white panties, and her school uniform. In simpler terms, her usual attire. It was time for school, her main escape from the thing she was forced to call life. At least she could count on her friends for help. Not that she told anybody about what happened in her home anyway.  
  
On the dresser was a framed picture. Nothing much to look at, but definitely something that older people would refer to as "darling". The picture depicted a small family posing for a picture. A young woman in her early thirties, a man that was perhaps only a few years older, and a smiling girl young girl with shoulder length raven black hair who looked to be about five years old. Kagome sighed. That had been long ago. Her mother was gone now. She had died some years ago.  
  
_Mama_, Kagome thought to herself, _why did you have to die? Why did you have to die and leave me alone with him?  
_  
flashback  
  
_The little girl sat in the corner sobbing. Surely what her father had told her wasn't true. But in her heart she knew it was. Her mother was dead and now there was nobody who could protect her.  
  
"Mama! Please don't be dead mama please don't be dead!!" the girl howled. Behind her stood her grim faced father. His face was a mask of anger, but he did not seem entirely unhappy.  
  
"I'm sorry Kagome, but she is. You must accept that fact." At that, the girl didn't just cry. She wailed. Her father's hand descended on her shoulder. "But don't worry. I'm still here for you my dear." The girl's howls of misery grew even louder. Without her mother there would be nobody to protect her. And even more, she loved her mother dearly.  
  
"Mama I love you!!"  
  
_end flashback  
  
Kagome held back tears. It was funny in a way. No matter how much time passed, she still had to hold back from crying when she looked at that photograph. She still missed her mother tremendously. But most of all, without her mother, she had no protection against the devil she was forced to refer to as a father. But she couldn't be bothered with that now. She had to get to school. Kagome gathered up her backpack and went downstairs.  
  
The downstairs was elegantly decorated. Vases were placed in each of the window sills with plants growing out of them. The wallpaper was bright blue. On the dining room table was a silk cloth. Not what you would expect from somebody like Isamu. Kagome knew her father would be practicing his martial arts in the basement. Her father loved martial arts almost as much as he loved his job as a doctor. And he was quite good at martial arts too. Kagome knew that from all the beatings she had gotten over the years. Kagome went to the fridge and got out an apple and some orange juice, her breakfast for the day. She ate quickly, knowing Isamu wouldn't want her to be late. After she ate she would go about her usual routine. She would talk with her friends at school, do her class work, and go home as usual and then she would-  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
She froze. That voice was not yelling or growling, but calm and happy. That meant she was in trouble. And when she was in trouble... no she wouldn't think about it. Kagome turned around to face her father Isamu.  
  
Isamu looked like anybody you would see on the street. He was tall, about five foot eight, and had shoulder length black hair. His face was narrow and handsome. He wore black pants, a green shirt and a tie. Typical of him. One might say this man didn't look like somebody who would be the violent type, but then you looked into his eyes and you changed your mind entirely. Isamu's eyes did not show anger or anxiety. They showed happiness as if his eyes were saying "Life is good brother." But Kagome had lived with this man for sixteen years and knew that look meant anything but peace. That look meant he was mad. Very mad. And when he was mad, he could get dangerous. Kagome knew that from personal experience.  
  
Isamu leaned against the counter and studied her with his eyes. "Why aren't you at school yet my dear?"  
  
Kagome backed away nervously. "Um... school hasn't begun yet. I was just having breakfast dad." Kagome said.  
  
Isamu stared at her with his happy empty eyes. Kagome could not bring herself to look in those eyes. If she did she would go mad. She knew it. Then at last he stopped looking at her and turned to go back to the basement.  
  
"Well, don't be late." he said absently. Kagome sighed with relief. Her father hadn't lost control this time. But that didn't mean he couldn't have. Even the slightest thing could set him off. She ate the rest of the apple and finished the orange juice. Kagome picked up her glass and went to the sink to rinse it out when it slipped from her hand. It landed on the ground with a sickening crash.  
  
Kagome felt terror leap into her heart. Now she had done it. Slowly, she turned to face Isamu. "No..." she whispered under her breath. "Kami in heaven no..."  
  
One might expect Isamu to react strongly to this. He did react, but not in the way one would expect one like him to. His mouth opened and words issued forth. But it was not what most abusers would say.  
  
It wasn't "You stupid bitch! Look at this!"  
  
It wasn't "God damn it, why can't you be more careful?!"  
  
It wasn't even "You are going to regret doing that you numb cunt."  
  
What came out of his mouth was "Oh dear. Oh my dear this is very disappointing."  
  
"No dad I'm sorry! Please don't I didn't mean-" but it was too late. He was approaching her and he was smiling. Not grinning, only smiling. He looked as happy as a child with a mouthful of candy. Kagome locked her throat against any cry that wanted to escape her. You didn't scream in this house if you wanted to keep your bones intact. Kagome backed away into a corner. She knew what was coming.  
  
Isamu took her by the arm and pulled her gently towards him until she was close enough to look into his face. His face didn't look angry in the least. It looked happy. As if she had done something good instead of something wrong. But his eyes... oh god his eyes...  
  
"You should know better then to be so careless Kagome. You know I don't like that."  
  
"Dad please I'm sorry I just-"  
  
"Gosh and gee! You're sorry? Well I appreciate that Kagome. But nevertheless you have made a very careless mistake." Now he was grinning. "That makes me mad."  
  
He moved so quickly she only caught a flicker of movement. And in the next moment a flare of agony shot up her stomach as his fist crashed into her. Kagome gagged and backed away from him, clutching where he had punched her. It hurt like crazy, even worse then last night. Before she knew what was happening he darted behind her and kicked her in the back with a smooth flick of his leg. She was sent to the ground.  
  
"Now don't do it again, alright?" Isamu asked absently. Kagome tried to answer but she had lost most of her wind from the first blow. And then he brought both of his fists crashing into her back. Kagome cried out and sank to the ground. Her father's hand descended on her shoulder.  
  
"On your feet Kagome. You don't want to be late." he whispered. She did not move. Isamu propped his foot up against the middle of her back and gave her a powerful shove. Kagome went sprawling onto the floor. _But don't get her in the face_, Isamu thought to himself. _Don't mark her face or you'll get in trouble_. With one swift motion Isamu's foot flew out and kicked her directly in the center of her buttocks. Kagome screamed and was whirled around to face her father.  
  
"Oh no Kagome, you don't want to do that. You make any noise in this house and I think you know well what will happen." Kagome cringed away from that smiling face. Isamu shook her. "Say it my dear."  
  
Kagome gathered her courage and spoke. "You'd kill me." Isamu laughed merrily.  
  
"Oh no Kagome, I wouldn't kill you. If I did that I'd have to hide your body and that would be difficult. Even more, people would wonder where you had gone. I couldn't let that happen." And then he thrust her against the wall, gripping her throat just enough so that she could breathe. But other then that, he was choking her.  
  
"I won't kill you Kagome," Isamu whispered, "but I'll hurt you. I'll hurt you badly. Maybe I'll throw you down the stairs and break your back and leave you paralyzed from the neck down. You know, the old fate worse then death?" Kagome gaped at him. Did he really mean that? She knew he did. He was capable of doing anything to her.  
  
"Now are you going to obey me or do I have to introduce you to the staircase?" Instinctively Kagome nodded. Isamu let go of her throat and stepped away.  
  
"Get up Kagome." he said blandly. Kagome got to her feet and went to get her backpack. She hurt tremendously, but it wasn't enough to prevent her from walking. Not this time at least. She had been lucky this time. If she had crossed him anymore, one of the real beatings might have come. One of the ones that left her gasping and crying on the floor in a haze of agony.  
  
Kagome looked back at her father as he went back downstairs for his martial arts. I'm very lucky, she thought. Lucky that he hasn't killed me or disabled me yet. As long as he doesn't lose total control of himself I am safe. As he went downstairs, Kagome went about her business of cleaning up the glass on the floor and putting it in the trashbarrel. Then she turned away and went out the door towards the sanctuary she called school.  
  
To be continued... 


	2. A Typical Day at School

WARNING!!!! WARNING!!!! I REALLY SUGGEST YOU READ CHAPTER ONE AGAIN WHICH HAS BEEN REVISED. IF YOU DON'T, IT WILL BE HARD TO UNDERSTAND THE REST OF THE STORY. I HAVE MADE KAGOME'S FATHER A DOCTOR INSTEAD OF A NOVELIST SINCE IT WILL AFFECT A FEW CHAPTERS AND HAVE MADE THE CHAPTER LONGER AND LESS "RIGHT TO THE POINT" AS I LIKE TO PUT IT. FINALLY, I HAVE ADDED A FLASHBACK WHICH WILL PLAY A ROLE LATER IN THE STORY. AGAIN, I SUGGEST YOU READ CHAPTER ONE AGAIN!! -Randall Flagg2  
  
"Kagome are you sure nothing is wrong?" Kagome's friend Saotome Akiko asked. "You've seemed kind of down lately."  
  
"No, nothing is wrong. I-"  
  
-_have been getting beat up by my father a lot more then normal_ was what she wanted to say. But that's not what came out. With what Isamu had threatened her with should she dare to speak about what went on in her home kept all her secrets in her mind. And even if she did and he didn't find out, where could she go? She had no other living relatives. She had not intention of becoming homeless, much less with a broken back. So instead she simply said: "I've just been kind of depressed, that's all."  
  
Akiko looked puzzled. "Are you sure it isn't something else Kagome? Are you hiding something from me?"  
  
"No, nothing's wrong. I'm just... kind of depressed with my life. That's all." Akiko looked suspicious for a moment and for one moment Kagome thought she was going to ask her again and then she knew she wouldn't be able to resist telling her. And then she would come home and Isamu would be waiting for her and he would- oh god he would-  
  
But Akiko didn't ask. She simply turned around and in a flash of white uniform and green mini skirt she was walking briskly down the hall towards her class. Kagome sighed with relief. Anymore and she probably would have spilled her guts to her friend. Thank Kami she had not. With a sigh Kagome turned around and headed down the hall to her classroom. As she rounded the corner, she crashed into somebody and fell to the floor.  
  
"What the hell?!! Why don't you watch where your going you stupid son of a- " came the angry snarl of a familiar voice. And then before the obscenity could be spat out, the voice stopped. Kagome smiled warmly and spoke.  
  
"Hi Inuyasha. How are you doing?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Hi Kagome." Inuyasha said, pushing back his incredible long white hair. "Anything new in life?"  
  
Masaki Inuyasha was one of Kagome's better friends. That was probably an underestimate though. They had known each other since they were five. Of all of the friends she had at school, Inuyasha was the one she trusted the most. Over the years, she had told him many things. All except the biggest one: what went on in her home. Despite how much she trusted him, she could not bring herself to tell anybody, even him. But other then that, she told him just about everything in her life.  
  
Like Kagome, Inuyasha had some familial difficulties, but they were nowhere near as extreme as Kagome's was. Inuyasha's parents, Masaki Inutaisho and Masaki Chikako, had both been killed in a fire some many years ago. Around the time, Inuyasha had just been born. After that Inuyasha's older brother Sesshoamaru had taken care of Inuyasha from that point on. As far as Kagome knew Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had not been on particularly good terms since day one. Sesshomaru had never abused Inuyasha in any way. He just didn't like him. Kagome didn't know the specifics, but it had something to do with Inuyasha's mother. But that was all and Kagome figured it was better left that way.  
  
"Nothing new is happening Inuyasha. Life has been fairly boring for me."  
  
"You sure Kagome? Nothing is going on?"  
  
"Yes I'm sure. I have to get to class now." Kagome began to walk off but Inuyasha stopped her.  
  
"There is something I wanted to ask you Kagome."  
  
Kagome's eyebrow went up. "What might that be?"  
  
"I talked to my brother and he's letting me have a sleepover tomorrow night. Sango and Miroku are going to be there too. You want to come?"  
  
Kagome blushed. She had been to sleepovers before, but never with Inuyasha! Heck she hadn't even been to one with a boy. She didn't know what to say to her friend. On one hand she did want to go. It would be good for her to get out of the house, and away from her father. It would be a blessed escape hatch from the torments she was forced to suffer.  
  
On the other hand though, she didn't want to go at all. It wasn't out of fear of what Isamu would do to her, but out of nervousness of spending an entire night with a boy. And even more, she would be sleeping in the same house with her childhood friend. She didn't think he would try anything sexual or anything like that-Inuyasha was no pervert-but nevertheless the thought of sharing a room with a male just made her nervous. She was being immature, she knew it, but still...  
  
"Hey, are you just going to stand there or are you going to give me an answer?!" Inuyasha growled. That snapped Kagome back to attention. If there was anything about Inuyasha she disliked, it was that he was one of the worst tempered people in the school. As long as she had known him, he had always seemed to be on edge. But unlike her father, another person who was always on edge, Inuyasha had never physically lashed out at her. Inuyasha had always settled for just yelling at her. Kagome wasn't scared of him. She knew this was just the way he was.  
  
"Sure I can come. I just need to..."  
  
Kagome's words trailed off and for a moment she thought she was going to say something like _I need to tell my father who beats me for just about everything I do and he'll probably beat me up for wanting to leave the house but he'll still let me go anyway so sure I can come as long as you don't ask about why I'm limping_. But she didn't. Instead she just said:  
  
"I just need to talk to my father about it. Other then that, sure thing."  
  
"Okay. See you later in science class Kagome." Inuyasha said. He turned around and went off to his math class further down the hall. Kagome gathered up her books into her backpack and began the short walk down the south hallway to her first period class. She rounded another corner and entered the doorway. She was at last in her first period math class.  
  
Kagome had barely gotten to her desk when a loud slapping sound was heard and a tall, slender boy with short black hair went sprawling over Kagome's desk. Kagome yelped in surprise and jumped back just as the boy rolled off of her desk and onto the floor. When she saw who it was, she giggled.  
  
"Up to your old tricks again Miroku?" Kagome asked. The boy did not pay attention. Instead he turned to a tall girl with her hair in a ponytail and smiled sheepishly.  
  
"It's not like I haven't touched you there before Sango!" Mikage Miroku said, rubbing his face where Sango had slapped him.  
  
"You hentai! You just don't learn your lesson do you?" Myojin Sango growled, massaging her sore hand. "I've told you too many times not to touch me there!"  
  
Miroku only smiled. "My hand slipped Sango. I really didn't know it would brush up against you."  
  
Sango snorted. "That's what you say every time!! Next time you do that I'll-"  
  
"That is enough!" Tanaka Hideaki, the teacher of first period math yelled. At the tone of Hideaki's voice, everybody promptly took their seats without even making so much as a sound. All that was, except Sango and Miroku. They remainded standing. Kagome had to suppress laughter. This was not the first time they had done something like this.  
  
Mikage Miroku and Myojin Sango were two more of Kagome's friends. Unlike Inuyasha whom she had known most of her life, she had known these two only since seventh grade. Nevertheless, they were good people to be around. And once again, like Inuyasha and Kagome, both of them had familial difficulties.  
  
Miroku, like Inuyasha, had lost his parents at an early age. His mother had died of cancer when he had been three and his father had died in a car crash a year later. After that, Miroku had been taken in by his grandfather Mushin. Sango was a different matter. Unlike Miroku who had lost his parents, Sango has lost her younger brother. What had happened to him Sango refused to talk about. She had loved her brother dearly and bringing it up was too painful. Kagome only knew that her brother had been in the hospital at the time. But since seventh grade, she had been good friends with these two and she knew from how they acted towards each other, a fight was nothing to worry about. Like Inuyasha with his temper, it was just the way things went.  
  
Miroku clapped his hands together in apology. "Gomen Nasai sensei, but-"  
  
"I don't want to hear it. Detention, both of you, after school. Got it?" Hideaki said automatically. With a sigh, the two teenagers sat down in their seats. As Hideaki turned around, Sango leaned over to Kagome.  
  
"So Kagome, are you going to Inuyasha's sleepover tomorrow night? I am." Sango whispered.  
  
"Yeah. If my father lets me go." Kagome whispered back.  
  
"Hope you come. It won't be the same without you Kagome."  
  
"Do you have something you wish to say to the class Miss Myojin?" Hideaki growled from the front of the classroom.  
  
"No sensei." Sango said instinctively. She turned back to face the front of the classroom.  
  
And so began another day in the life of Higurashi Kagome. Another day of work, play, and dealing with her friends. A life where she could be free of pain and misery.  
  
To be continued....  
  
And there you have it. That's chapter two. As you can see I am trying to go for character development. The next chapter is going to be centered on Kagome's father and you're going to see that his abuse does not just center in on Kagome alone, if you know what I mean. Depending on how I write it, I might have to change the story's rating to an R rated story. But that's only a maybe. Keep your eyes open for the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it. -Randall Flagg2 


	3. It's not Just at Home

So here it is folks. Part three of "Healing a Broken Spirit". Be warned this chapter does contain violence. You have been dully warned. Now read.  
  
Oh yeah. I don't own anything that already exists. I do not own Stephen King, any books he has written, any music lyrics you may here, or any quotes that may appear. So no lawyers, okay? -Randall Flagg2  
  
(1)  
  
As Kagome and her friends were busily tackling the latest math assignment in school, Isamu was reclining in his desk chair. So far nothing had happened. Oh well, something was bound to happen at one point. In hospitals anything could happen. He knew that from personal experience.  
  
"_Something has to give. I can't just stay here writing up charts and graphs all day long_." Isamu thought. Anxiously, he began to pick at his cuticles, being careful not to go deep enough to draw blood. It was strange. After so many years, he still has not been able to break this habit which he normally resorted to when he was bored or anxious. He had started this little habit when he was fourteen, and from that point on he had worked over and over on his skin whenever there was nothing to do.  
  
But that was of no concern now. All that mattered right now was that Isamu was bored out of his skull. He had written up more papers then he could count in the past few hours and he was ragged. He needed something to happen. Anything would do. Hopefully somebody would soon be admitted to the emergency room and that would be his cue.  
  
"_There are times when I really hate this job_." He looked at his watch and smiled. Time for his break. Isamu got up and headed towards the lounge. Time for a bit of rest and relaxation.  
  
(2)  
  
Isamu sat in a cushy pink chair with a table next to him. On the table was a cup of coffee. In his hand was a Stephen King novel. If there was anything Isamu loved in life, it was Stephen King novels. He just couldn't get enough of them. Today it was "Desperation", an old favorite of his.  
  
"_God damn, he just writes the best stuff. That kid has his hands full with that demon spirit Tak_." he thought to himself. He took another sip of coffee and turned the page. This was surely the life.  
  
Isamu looked up and surveyed his surroundings, checking out the other doctors and nurses. He secretly hated them. And why did he hate? He knew why. He hated them because they were different from him. He did not envy them, oh no. What he hated was that they were trying to act human when in his eyes, they were anything but. Oh sure they could reason and talk and walk upright, but underneath it all they were-  
  
"Animals." Isamu muttered. "Animals on leashes." He looked at his watch and saw it was time to go back to work. Time to go back to writing up graphs and attending to the sick and dying. He got up and headed back to his office.  
  
(3)  
  
"Hi Dr. Higurashi!" said the cheerful voice of Takashi Akira, Isamu's secretary. "Anything new today?"  
  
Isamu turned to face him. Akira was a tall man with short brown hair and small rimless glasses on his face. He sat at a large wooden desk.  
  
"Hello Akira." Isamu grunted. "Did those papers I want come in today?"  
  
"Uh, no not yet sir, but I promise you they will be in soon." Akira replied. Isamu felt his temper start to give way. When it came to being a doctor, he was all business. And if there was anything that made him sick with wrath, it was when papers that he needed came in late. He did not care about getting promoted or getting a raise at all, but he still insisted on getting everything in on time anyway. It was after all, part of his job.  
  
"Tell me you're kidding Akira. I really need those things in soon."  
  
"I'm sorry doctor but I can't get them in today. I can however try to get them in by tomorrow."  
  
Isamu was now sick with the urge to grab Akira by his hair and snap his neck like a twig. He could do it. He had the strength. And for a moment he really did consider doing it. Apparently Akira must have seen something in his eyes because his eyes widened in  
  
(fear?)  
  
surprise and he clapped his hands together in the "forgive me" pose.  
  
"Gomen Nasai doctor." Akira said nervously. Isamu began to calm down and accept the fact that his paper work would be a bit late when Akira asked another question.  
  
"How is your daughter?"  
  
That was it. Isamu was insane with rage. How dare this man ask him about his family? What gave him the right to delve into his family and what he did to his daughter? If he meant to ask about his life at home, that meant he was curious about Kagome. And if he was curious about Kagome, then he would most likely ask if anything was going on with her. And then it would be inevitable that he would learn about what Isamu did to her. It was too much.  
  
A smile crossed Isamu's lips. His eyes began to take on an insane look of glee. Akira saw this and felt fear close around his heart. He had never seen Isamu look like this. Heck he had never seen _anybody_ look like this.  
  
"Would you step into my office for a moment Akira? I would like to speak with you about something." Nervously, Akira got up from his desk and followed the doctor into his office. Isamu closed the door behind him.  
  
"What are you doing? Is this-" and that was all he got up before Isamu grabbed him by his shirt collar and thrust him against the wall. Akira gasped.  
  
"Now do you want to repeat what you said?" Isamu whispered.  
  
"I just asked about your-"  
  
Isamu shoved him against the wall again. "I know what you said. The question is do you really want to know about that?" he said hoarsely.  
  
Akira was now officially terrified. "Please I didn't mean it that way I just wanted to-"  
  
"What goes on in my family life is none of your concern Akira. I just want to make sure you understand and remember that."  
  
"W-what do y-y-you mean?" Akira stammered, wondering what Isamu was going to do.  
  
Isamu dug into his lab coat pocket and when his hand came out Akira had to use all his willpower to hold back the scream of terror building up in his throat. He had no doubt of what was going to happen to him now.  
  
Isamu slowly raised the glittering scalpel in his hand up to Akira's face. He stopped just inches away from the man's skin.  
  
"Now I want you to remember that what goes on with my family is none of your business. Delving into it might be the biggest mistake of your life."  
  
"Please doctor I didn't mean to offend you I was just wondering and-" Akira was so frightened he was unaware that he was crying.  
  
"Oh no don't worry. I'm not mad. I'm just... annoyed. That's all."  
  
"Please let me go! I won't ask again!"  
  
Isamu giggled, a high tittering sound that sounded like the laughter of a child. "I know you won't. But maybe I should leave you a little reminder not to ask about my family again." He began to reach for Akira's shirt. Akira finally broke and let out a small scream. Isamu let go of him.  
  
"Good. I can see I don't have to mark you up at all. Now be off with you." Isamu said. Akira wiped his eyes and left the room in a hurry, happy to have escaped with his life intact.  
  
Isamu put the scalpel away. All the anger in him was beginning to leave him. Thank goodness it had. He didn't know what he would have done if he had lost total control.  
  
"I have really got to learn to control myself." Isamu said to nobody in particular. He sat back down at his desk and resumed his work.  
  
To be continued...  
  
I wasn't kidding when I said Kagome's father was crazy, was I? As you can see, her father is not just abusive but he is also losing his mind. And he abuses many others besides Kagome. Next chapter will come when I get the time and get an idea. Bye! -Randall Flagg2 


	4. Rivals and Voices

Well, I finally got an idea for part four. Character development is harder then I thought it would be. Next part could take awhile. Now read and review please.

-Randall Flagg2

"Maybe I should tell somebody." Kagome thought to herself as she reached into her locker for her math text book. "Maybe something will work out and I'll be free of him. I'm sure somebody will take me in. But it would be so strange living with somebody else but maybe-"

"Kagome?"

Kagome inwardly groaned at the sound of that voice. She knew who it was in an instant.

"Hello Koga. How are you today?"

Kasamatsu Koga was the one person Kagome could always count on running into every day. He was the best player on the school track team and a royal pain. Ever since last year when she had talked with him at a dance he had been following her like a lost puppy.

The most annoying thing about Koga however was that he always claimed Kagome was his girlfriend. Naturally, Kagome hated that. He had even announced it over the P.A. system once. After that Kagome was forced to endure constant questions from her friends, asking her if she was really in love with Koga. Thankfully they had stopped, but not until a whole month had passed.

Koga wrapped an arm around Kagome's waist and brought her towards him so she could look directly into his eyes. Kagome knew what was coming next.

"Kagome what do you see in that spineless mutt at any rate? What does he have that I don't?"

Kagome wasn't worried. Koga was an expert when it came to using big words. He talked a good game, but unless it came to running out on the field in physical education classes he wasn't much to worry about.

"Really Kagome, if you want somebody to come into your life, then why don't you try me? I could provide you with so much more then that filthy bag of-" Oh it was classic Koga. This was not the first time he had said things like this.

Kagome wrenched free of his grasp. "Inuyasha is not a mutt Koga! And furthermore he's a very good friend!"

Koga looked absolutely shocked over what she had said. "What do you mean my dear? Surely you can't be serious!"

"Oh she is serious you piece of shit!"

Koga spun around to see who had dared to speak to him in such a manner. It was of course, Inuyasha.

Koga narrowed his eyes. "What the hell are you doing here?! Just back off! She is mine!"

With two great steps Inuyasha was in Koga's face. "She isn't yours! She is nobody's! So you back off!"

"No you back off!"

"You do it!"

"You!"

Kagome sighed. She didn't know much about Koga but she did know that he and Inuyasha had hated each other from day one. The day he had announced Kagome as his girlfriend over the PA system, Inuyasha and him had gotten into a fight. From that point on things had not gone well between them.

"You listen to me Masaki! You'd better just stay away from her if you know what's good for you! She loves me but she just doesn't realize it!"

Inuyasha made as if to strike him and Kagome jumped in between the two.

"Will you both stop it! You're both acting immature!"

"Stay out of this Kagome!" Inuyasha snarled. "This is between him and me!"

Koga on the other hand seemed to be in a better mood. "You stood up for me Kagome! I knew you liked me!" Then he turned back to Inuyasha.

"Do you see now you filthy mutt! She likes me after all!" Koga followed this up by using his middle finger to flip Inuyasha the classic sign that many used almost daily.

It was too much. With a furious roar Inuyasha charged and managed to get in one good punch in Koga's face. Koga staggered back, blood already starting to run from his nose. Before he could fight back, Kagome grabbed Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha stop it right now! I like both of you equally! Now leave Koga alone!" Inuyasha rarely ever denied a request from Kagome so he promptly backed down. For the time being at any rate.

Koga glared at Inuyasha as he put his hand up to block his bleeding nose. This was not the first time he had been struck by him. What made it so bad was that he had done it _in front of Kagome_. It was not just the pain, but the humiliation that hurt him so badly.

Koga turned around to go. "Fine then mutt! If your going to be like that then I'll just leave for the time being. After all, I wouldn't want to make Kagome sick when she sees me beat you into a bloody pulp!" With that, he left.

Inuyasha was tempted to attack again, but managed to keep himself from doing it. Koga wasn't worth his time anyway.

"Sorry about that Kagome." Inuyasha sighed. "I just hate him that's all."

Kagome said nothing. She simply turned around and went off to her next class.

(2)

Back in his hospital office, Isamu couldn't believe his luck. He had finally managed to get a break from his job. About a week off to be exact. He simply had no idea what he would do with this precious time.

"Finally I get a break." he sighed. "After all the work I've been doing it's high time I got a break. Of course my daughter gets out this week too so I guess it's not all good."

_"Nothing is good enough for you is it?"_ a voice remarked.

Isamu spun around to see who had spoken and saw nobody. Fear closed around the doctor's heart when the realization of what was about to happen hit him. He knew what was coming next.

"Get out." Isamu muttered. "Leave me alone."

_"Nothing is good enough for you. Every time you just want something else and it's never good enough. Why can't you be satisfied?"_

"Get out!" Isamu said a bit louder. "You are not in me now get out!"

_"I will be around as long as you are around Isamu!"_

Isamu clutched his head and moaned. No, no, this couldn't be happening. Not now!

At last, he found his voice again and spoke.

"You are not in me father!! You are a thing of the past!"

The voice sighed. _"If only you could be more like everybody else. Why can't you be normal? Why must you incessantly do these horrible things?" _The voice sounded saddened and disappointed. _"Please, if only you could stop acting so cruel you-" _

Isamu screamed, half in rage and half in fear. He drew his hand back, curled it into a fist and struck himself in the side of the face as hard as he could. A bright flash of agony ripped up the side of his face. But the moment his fist connected with his face, the voice went away.

Isamu panted. That had been a close call. A very close call indeed. Now he could get back to planning what he could do with his vacation.

"I just hope my daughter doesn't do anything stupid at home or at school. If she does... well... I'll just have to teach her who is in charge again." Isamu thought this to himself as he calmed down. For now, he just wanted to leave. It was time to go anyway.

He gathered up his briefcase and went away.

To be continued...

Read and review!

-Randall Flagg2


	5. Koga finds out

Here we go again. Here's another chapter for you all. Be warned it is brutal. Read on fellow readers. Read on.

-Randall Flagg2

(1)

"Koga would you please leave me alone? I need to go home."

"You sure Kagome? You never know when you might need protection from somebody else!"

Kagome turned around to face him. "Koga will you please just leave me alone?! I know you care about me but I don't need your protection!"

Koga sighed in defeat. This was getting nowhere fast. He longed to be with her, but if she wanted him to leave then he would. He would never do anything to make Kagome mad.

Koga turned around to leave. "Very well my dear, I will leave you. Take care of yourself." Koga promptly walked off in the opposite direction.

Kagome sighed with relief. She didn't know how much longer she would be able to put up with Koga harping on her. It really got on her nerves after awhile.

But that was really of no importance now. What mattered was that she had a week off from school and now she could have some time to herself. And with her father at work, things would go more smoothly in her house. Breathing a sigh of relief, Kagome gathered up her things and began to walk towards her home.

(2)

As soon as she was just far away from him so he could see her silhouette, Kasamatsu Koga turned back around and began to follow Kagome. He didn't know why he was doing this, but for some reason he felt compelled to follow her back to her house.

_"You're just playing hard to get Kagome. I bet when I meet you at your house I can win you over. You just don't realize you like me yet."_

So Koga followed her as quickly as he could, moving as silently as a water snake in a lake.

(3)

"She wouldn't. She wouldn't dare." Isamu whispered.

_"Oh she is considering it."_ said the voice. _"You know as well as I do that she is considering telling someone at this very moment."_

Isamu glanced at the front door. He knew Kagome was going to be home any second now. He wasn't one hundred percent sure of what his mind was telling him, but he couldn't take a chance. If somebody found out about what he did to his daughter, he would be in deep trouble.

_"You listen to me and listen well."_ the voice hissed. _"If you know what's good for you, you will make sure she doesn't say a word! You know exactly what to do!"_

"Yes. I do."

Isamu left his chair and went upstairs to get something.

(4)

Kasamatsu Koga stood behind a tree, watching Kagome go into her house. Soon he would be following her. He knew it was wrong to just go into somebody's house without their permission, but he really wanted to win Kagome over.

_"Just you wait Kagome. You'll be mine. I just know you will. Once you get to know me you-"_

And then he heard it. The screams of somebody in pain.

(5)

Kagome gasped as her father's fist flew into her stomach yet again. She could barely get enough air to breathe. With a groan she slumped to the ground.

"Get up." Isamu said. Oddly, he didn't sound angry or exasperated. He didn't even sounds slightly agitated. Not in the least. "Get up Kagome. I want answers."

"Answers to what?" Kagome gagged, clutching her stomach where he had hit her.

"I want to know if you told anybody about what I do. I am hoping for your sake that you didn't."

"Dad I would never say anything about you. Why would I?"

Isamu began to pick at his nails. "I don't know. Maybe you are starting to gain the urge to run away. Or maybe you are thinking you are..." His words trailed off.

"Thinking I am what Dad?"

"Nevermind that. Just get up. I'll let you go."

Kagome started to get up, thankful that her father was being merciful. He could be doing much worse then he was now if he got to a certain point. She started to walk upstairs when he interrupted her.

"Nevertheless Kagome, you have made me very angry and for you that is not a good thing." Isamu suddenly leaped at her and pinned her to the ground. Kagome screamed and struggled to get away from him, but he moved with her as if he could read her mind. As he held her down with one hand, he reached into his pocket and came out with something.

It was a lighter.

Kagome knew exactly what was going to happen next before he stood her up and yanked up the sleeve of her uniform and flicked the lighter open, creating a small flame.

"Sorry to have to do this Kagome, but I have to make sure you get the point across. I don't want you to so much as breathe a word about me and I don't ever want you to even dream about running away."

Isamu gripped her tighter and held up the lighter to her skin. The moment the flame was applied, Kagome felt a searing bolt of agony rip up her arm. It was unlike anything she had ever felt. She had to use all of her will power to avoid screaming. If she screamed, someone might hear. If somebody heard, who knew what Isamu would do to her? So to avoid an even more horrible fate, she held the scream inside of her as best as she could. 

"Yes, that's it, just a little bit more and it will be all over." Isamu pressed the lighter directly onto her arm. He could see tears streaming out of his daughter's eyes. Good, good. That meant she was getting the message across.

It was then he saw something in the window.

(6)

Koga was aghast. He could not believe what he was seeing. What he was witnessing disgusted and horrified him.

_"My god! How can he do that to her? Father's aren't supposed to do bad things to their children! Why is he doing this?!"_

He heard Kagome scream again. Rage surged through Koga's body. How dare this sick fuck hurt his beloved? And furthermore, why didn't she tell him about it? He could have told somebody and gotten the police involved. This wasn't the first time he had run into somebody with a problem like this.

Koga's first intention was to charge inside and help Kagome. She was after all, the one he loved. Koga had vowed to never let anybody hurt his Kagome. And now her bastard of a father was hurting her like this and-

It was then that Kagome's father whirled around to face the window Koga was looking into. Koga looked upwards at the man's face and a wave of terror surged over him. He knew that look. It was written all over the man's face. It was the look of somebody who was completely out of their mind.

Kagome's father started to get up and go towards the door. Before he even knew what he was doing Koga turned around and ran off as fast as he could. He did not want to look at that face anymore. It was too much.

(7)

Isamu panted. Had that boy actually seen him? He had no doubt that he had been seen. From the look of terror on his face he had seen what Isamu had been doing. Isamu mentally slapped himself. This was not good.

But then he felt relief come over him. He knew who that person had been. It was the Kasamatsu boy. He was familiar with the Kasamatsu's. The boy's father was a doctor, just as he was and Isamu had spoken with him from time to time. Isamu had even had dinner with him once. He had watched the man's son carefully and knew that he would be of no threat. The boy was a big talker, but he wasn't much in reality. Isamu therefore knew that he would not tell about what he had seen this day.

He turned back to his daughter who was now sobbing in a heap on the ground.

"Get up Kagome. I'll bandage it later. Now go do whatever it is you need to do." Kagome got up, now crying a bit softer, and went upstairs. Isamu sat back down in a chair. He had a lot of planning to do for his break.

(8)

Far away from the Higurashi house, Koga stopped and panted, out of breath. He could not believe what he had seen. Furthermore, he could not understand why he ran. He could have easily gone inside or called for help. But why had he run away? He couldn't believe what he had done.

_"Why?"_ Koga asked himself. _"Why couldn't I help her? Why was I such a fool?!"_

Koga considered going back, but then he saw the man's twisted face in front of him and he shivered. He had never seen eyes like those before. They were like the eyes of Charles Manson.

For the first time in his life, Koga wished he had never heard of Higurashi Kagome.

To be continued...

Wow, that was creepy eh? Thanks for the reviews and any you might post about this chapter. See you later.

-Randall Flagg2


	6. A Hard Decision

Ah, thank you so much for the reviews. They really keep me motivated to write. Time for another chapter to this story. Now it's time for Kagome to make the big decision: should she keep this a secret and continue to suffer, or should she confess? Read on.

-Randall Flagg2

(1)

She had recovered at last. It had taken her a whole day, but she had gotten better. The pain from the beating was only a dull throb in her stomach now. The injury on her arm however, was still stinging quite a bit. The fact that a large bandage had been applied to it made it hurt even more. Kagome winced as she dragged herself from her bed. It hurt, but she managed. She had been through much worse.

But that was of little matter now. Tonight was the night of the sleepover. Tonight was the night she would be with Inuyasha and the rest of her friends for the night. One night of freedom from her father. It was what she had been waiting for.

Still, Kagome was still a bit reluctant to go. Not just because she would be in the same house as her childhood friend, but also because she had a feeling of what would happen if her father found out she had left the house. She had left the house to go to a friend's house once a year ago. The beating she had received afterwords had been one of the worst. He had even gone so far as to strike her in the face.

Now that she thought about it, she could not recall him hitting her in the face much. In fact he had only done it twice in her entire life, including the time she had left the house. The first time had been when she was seven. She had been helping him with the dishes and had dropped a dish on the ground breaking it. Before she even knew what was happening his fist flew out and crashed savagely against her face. She had fallen to the ground, doing her best not to cry. Crying would only make it worse.

As for her father, he had simply stood over her looking down at her, not saying a word. His eyes were blazing with wild glee, he was smiling. Kagome slowly got to her feet, waiting to see what would happen to her. She had a hunch that one of the real beatings were coming. It was written all over his face.

And then something happened. Something she had never expected. The look of pleasure vanished from his face. He staggered back and gripped at the counter. Isamu began to pant and sweat uncontrolably. He looked as if he was going to have a heart attack. Kagome had no idea in the least of what was happening with her father. He had never acted like this before. Frightened, Kagome had left the room.  
  
Later on that night, she had run into a very frightening sight.

(2)

flashback

_Kagome walked slowly through the hallway to her father's room. Loud yelps of pain could be heard from farther up ahead accompanied by a dull WHACK sound every now and again. Kagome knew she wasn't supposed to go into her father's room without his permission, but something compelled her to follow the sound of her father. As quietly as she could, she crept up to the door to Isamu's room and peeked in._

_The sight before her was frightening indeed. Her father was standing in the center of his room and he was obviously in pain. He had stripped all the way to his underwear. In his hands was a long, snaky leather belt. It was then Kagome saw that there were large red stripes all over his body. Kagome was wondering how these marks could have gotten on her father when suddenly her father swung the belt. It whickered down and spat against his stomach, creating another mark._

_"Idiot!" Isamu was screaming. "You idiot! You didn't do it right! You hit her in the face!! Idiot! You fucking idiot!!!"_

_Kagome thought he was yelling at her but then the truth sank in. He was yelling at himself._

_Isamu swung the belt again and another harsh WHACK was heard. Kagome ran from the room as fast as she could, not wanting to see anymore._

end flashback

(3)

Kagome shuddered at that memory. She had never been so frightened in her entire life. It was not just the fact that she had seen her father beating himself, but it was because of why he was doing it. What he had been saying revealed more then she wanted to know.

_"He hurt himself because he beat me the wrong way. How sick can you get?"_ Kagome thought to herself.

Now that she thought about it, Isamu was not your typical abuser. Unlike most abusers in Japan (heck not just Japan but the entire world) Isamu was very careful about where he hit her. He never hit her in places which could be seen. It was always places like her stomach, her shoulders, her thighs, her buttocks, and so forth. Always in places that had to be covered up. He had never hit her in the face aside from those two times.

When it came to language, he was pretty mild. He had never called her a bitch or a slut or any sort of name, nor could she recall him yelling at her. He never even raised his voice when he got mad. When it came to beating her, he always kept his cool.

Even more, he normally allowed her to have friends over. He just didn't like it when she went to their houses. She had had Inuyasha over to her house many times in her life and her father had not gotten angry. Either he didn't consider Inuyasha to be a very nosy person, or maybe it was because he knew Kagome would keep her mouth shut no matter what. Either way, he never seemed to mind it when someone came over.

Finally, he never blamed any of his problems on her. He had always been happy with the way his life was going, and he never seemed to want more. He didn't expect much from Kagome either. He had never expected her to get high grades nor did he expect her to be perfect in some way. When it came to grades in school, he was very lenient. As long as she passed with the minimum amount required, he didn't care what she did at school.

Kagome sighed as she took out a small backpack to pack her things for the sleepover. For sixteen years she had lived like this. Sixteen years of living hell, all at the hands of one man.

"At least tonight I can get away from him." she muttered as she packed her belongings and some clean clothes. "One night away from it all."

Yes indeed, she would be freed for one night. She could be with her friends, play games with them, and do just about anything with them. Heck she could even-

_"Leave."_ said a voice. _"Leave before it's too late."_

Kagome had trouble identifying the voice for a moment. Then it sank in. It was her own voice she was hearing.

"No!" Kagome said aloud. "I can't do that! He'd hurt me! I might not recover this time!!"

_"But you could free yourself. You know it's only a matter of time before he goes too far."_

Now that Kagome thought about it, her mind was right. From how her father acted it would be almost inevitable before he did something like throw her down the stairs or hit her too hard. He was out of control enough as it was. So how long would it be before he did something beyond what he normally did? She did not know and did not want to know.

"But I can't." Kagome whimpered. "If he finds out there is no telling what he'll do!"

_"I'm not going to say it again. Get out before he goes to far."_

Kagome opened her mouth to protest but then her mind said something that stopped her cold.

_"He might eventually kill you."_

Kagome froze. Would her father kill her? Surely he wouldn't. He had even said he wouldn't. If he killed her he would get caught. So surely he wouldn't. She knew he wouldn't.

But then it dawned on her. What if he did lose all control of himself? What if he decided that he didn't care what happened to him and let himself go completely over the deep end? It could happen. Kagome imagined it happened in many other homes.

_"Get out."_ her mind half hissed. _"Get some clothes and get out."_

Kagome let out a whimper. She had made her decision but she doubted it would work. She turned and left her room.

(4)

Kagome came back out of her father's room with a suitcase. He was out shopping so he wouldn't be back for awhile. She went to her dresser and began packing clothes. She packed some jeans, socks, a few pairs of panties, a couple of blouses, and her two favorite dresses. It would be sufficient.

"Please let this work." she prayed. "I only want to be free."

_"You understand that you're doing the right thing."_ her mind whispered.

"Yes." Kagome whispered. She was doing the right thing. She honestly believed that.

Kagome took her suitcase, walked down the stairs, and stepped out of the doorway to see what fate had in store for her.

To be continued...

Things are heating up. Kagome is really in a bind as you can see. And what will happen when Isamu finds out? Rest assured things are going to get interesting. Oh and I'm going on vacation to Florida on Saturday and I will be back Wednesday so don't expect an update until then. Bye.

-Randall Flagg2


	7. Confessing to your friends

It's time. Kagome has arrived at the sleepover and now it's time for confession. Prepare for things to heat up.

-Randall Flagg2

(1)

She looked at the door that would take her into the Masaki house. It was finally time for her to take flight from her home. Kagome still had her doubts though. This would be risky. Very risky indeed. If her father found out about this, it would be over. If anybody got in his way, they would pay a high price as well. Kagome knew they would. Her father did not really care who he hit. She knew that from the time he had invited a friend over.

(2)

Flashback

_Kagome heard the sounds of her father's friend from the other room. From the sound of it nothing good was happening to him._

_"Please Isamu don't! I didn't mean to-"_

_"I don't care. You have no right to ask me about my family." Isamu whispered. Kagome crept around the corner as quietly as she could to see what was happening._

_Yet again, she was confronted with a frightening sight. Her father was standing in front of somebody in a green shirt and khaki pants. Actually he was holding the man by his shirt collar. The man her father had grabbed onto seemed to be very frightened indeed._

_"Please just don't hurt me! I didn't mean to ask about what goes on in your family! I just-"_

_Isamu slapped the man across the face, hard._

_"Quiet. I know what you were intending to do. You were intending to learn about something that wasn't any of your business."_

_"Please I don't know what you mean!" the man pleaded._

_"You were going to ask about my family and what goes on in it. Then you would want me to tell you about my daughter next. And then you would learn about something which isn't any of your business. I know how your mind works." Isamu said. As usual his voice was calm and laid back. Kagome knew her father was not one to lose his cool._

_"I wasn't! I was just asking because I was curious!"_

_Isamu spun around and flung him across the room. The man crashed into the wall with a sickening CRACK._

_"Shut up. I've heard enough." For the first time in her life Kagome heard her father's voice drop to a growl._

_Not wanting to see anymore, she left to go to her room._

End flashback

(3)

Throughout her life, Kagome had seen many odd things because of her father. None of them had been pleasant. But now it could all end. With Inuyasha's help she might be able to escape. But still, it would be risky. Her father was very good at finding out things. He was no detective but he could still figure out what was going on easily. And if she was caught, he would beat her within an inch of her life. Heck he might even kill her. He was crazy enough to do it.

Kagome reached out towards the door handle. Just one simple twist of it and she would be free. But before she could twist the handle a hand fell on her shoulder.

"Hi Kagome." Koga said before she even knew what was happening. Oddly his voice did not have the usual happiness it had when he spoke to her. He sounded glum. Almost sad.

"Hi Koga. What are you doing here?"

Koga turned her around to face him. "Why didn't you tell me Kagome?" he said sternly.

"Tell you what?"

Koga glared at her. "Why didn't you tell me about your father?! I could have helped you!"

Kagome's face went pale. "You- you saw what happened yesterday?!"

"Yes I did. Why didn't you tell me or somebody?! Has he always been like this or is this the first time he hurt you?!"

Kagome grew angry. "You mean you followed me home?! What gives you the right to butt into my business?! Why did you have to meddle?!!"

"I don't know. I just wanted to win you over so I followed you home. How was I supposed to know about what your father did to you?"

Kagome drew back her hand and slapped Koga as hard as she could. Koga's face rocked to one side. The teen clutched his stinging cheek which was already turning red.

"I only wanted to help." Koga whispered. "What is so wrong with that?"

"What the hell are you doing here Kasamatsu?!" interrupted a familiar voice. Inuyasha stormed out of the doorway leading into his house and glared at Koga. "I never invited you so what are you doing here?!"

Koga said nothing. He only continued rubbing his cheek.

"Answer me!"

Koga gave Inuyasha a blank glance. "She has something to tell you." he said quietly.

Now Inuyasha was interested. Kagome wanted to tell him something? What could it be? Oh if only he knew. Inuyasha hated secrets.

"Well you might as well come inside Kagome. Sango and Miroku are here too." Then he turned to Koga. "You on the other hand-"

"Wait Inuyasha." Kagome interrupted. "Let him in. I'd feel better if you did."

Inuyasha was a bit reluctant to, but something in her voice made him yield. She sounded.... well, desperate. As if she was going to say something that she did not originally want him to know. Oh if only he knew the secrets Kagome had been hiding beneath her personality, and even more, under her school uniform.

"Fine. You may come in Koga. But I want you out of here the moment the others leave, okay?" Inuyasha said. He was trying to sound tough, but it came out in a calm relaxed manner. The way Kagome had spoken to him made him worry.

Inuyasha turned around and went back inside, Kagome and Koga following him.

(4)

"Inuyasha?"

"Yeah Kagome?"

"Can I speak with you somewhere else?" Kagome asked nervously.

"Sure. We can talk in the guest room."

So the two of them got up and left the fun and games (Sango had slapped Miroku for groping her again) and left for the guest room. Once inside they both sat down again, Inuyasha in an armchair and Kagome on one of the beds. For a few moments there was nothing but silence. Then at last Kagome spoke.

"I have something to tell you Inuyasha. It's really important."

"Then just tell me for Kami's sake! I hate it when people keep secrets from me!" Inuyasha almost snarled. Kagome flinched at his tone. Her lips began to tremble.

Inuyasha's expression changed from one of anger to one of sympathy. "Kagome I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell it's just that-" 

"It's not that." Kagome whispered. "I just want..."

"Want what?!"

It was too much. The girl's control over herself broke. Kagome got up and almost staggered over to Inuyasha. One would have thought she was drunk by the way she was walking. The teen was wondering what in the world she was doing when Kagome almost fell into his lap, buried her face into his chest and began to sob violently.

"I need your help Inuyasha! I need to leave my home before it's too late!" Kagome wailed. Inuyasha was now officially freaked out. None of what she was saying made any sense. He had no idea what she meant by "leave home". Unless that was, there was more to what she was saying.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome could not speak she was crying so hard. All Inuyasha was aware of were the desperate wails of somebody in desperate need of something and the tears which were dampening his tee shirt.

"Kagome it's alright." Inuyasha soothed. "Just calm down and tell me everything." It took awhile but she stopped. Kagome's sobs and wails finally came down to whimpers and she looked up at Inuyasha.

"I need your help escaping my father Inuyasha. He's been hurting me for sixteen years now."

If looks could kill, Kagome might have been dead then and there. A look of almost insane rage passed over Inuyasha's face making him look like a cruel parody of his normally handsome self. Heck he didn't even look human his face was so severe.

"What did you say?" Inuyasha whispered.

"I need your help escaping from my home Inuyasha. It's only a matter of time before my father kills me. So I really need your help running away."

"Tell me more." Inuyasha whispered, his voice deathly calm despite how angry he was. "I want you to tell me everything."

Kagome cleared her throat and began.

(5)

"My father had been beating me for sixteen years Inuyasha. I just never told you because I was afraid of what he would do to me."

"But I've been to your house multiple times Kagome! Your father always seemed like a nice person!"

Kagome laughed bitterly. "He's only nice when he wants to be Inuyasha. He's great at putting on facades. He only seems nice because you don't live with him."

"If he hurt you so much then why haven't I seen any bruises on you Kagome? Surely he would have left marks on you if he hurt you."

Kagome unbuttoned her blouse to reveal her slender stomach and chest. Inuyasha was shocked to see there were multiple bruises all over her body. They almost seemed to litter her torso.

"You don't have to hit somebody in the face to abuse them Inuyasha. My father only hit me in the face twice in my life. He's very cautious about where he hits me. He only hits me in places that always need to be covered."

Inuyasha was appalled. So this was the secret that Kagome had been keeping from him. All these years and he had had no idea of what had really been going on in her house. After so long, he finally knew the truth.

Kagome buttoned her blouse again. "The first time my father hit me was when I was four years old. Back then my mother was still alive. I don't think she ever found out about what he did to me. She died in a car accident before I was even ten."

"And then what happened?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome sighed. "After she died he got even worse. Before she died my father tended to limit himself to just a punch to my stomach or a slap to my fanny and nothing more. But after she died, he started hitting me multiple times. Sometimes he would beat me to the point where I couldn't move for a day. He normally did that on days before I got out of school so I wouldn't have to skip a day. He takes no chances about getting caught."

"So he blames his wife's death on you. That's just sick." Inuyasha muttered.

"No. He never told me it was my fault Inuyasha. It's strange. After mama died, he seemed happier."

"Your father sounds sick Kagome. If I met him now I would give him a piece of my mind!"

Kagome started to sob again. "No Inuyasha! You don't know my father the way I do! He's not just abusive. He is dangerous. I'm not the only one he hurts. One time I saw him beating up somebody he invited over for dinner. He did it because the guy asked about me!"

Inuyasha was disgusted. "So he abuses everybody?!"

Kagome sobbed harder. "You don't know how bad it is Inuyasha. The first time he hit me in the face I found him whipping himself with a belt in his room. He was hitting himself because he hit me the wrong way."

"Kagome I don't want to hear anymore. Your father sounds really off of his rocker."

"He is. He's hurt me for sixteen years and now I finally gathered up my courage and told somebody. That's why I need your help running away Inuyasha." Kagome wept. "If this keeps up he's going to kill me."

Inuyasha placed his hand on Kagome's shoulder and brought her closer so she could look directly into his eyes.

"You are always welcome in my house Kagome. You will not have to worry about that bastard anymore."

"You- you mean-?" the girl stammered.

"Yes." Inuyasha smiled. "You are welcome to stay here at my house."

Kagome's lips began to tremble again. She had never felt so happy in all her life. Kagome looked downwards at the ground. A tear dripped down her face. It was followed by another. And another. She began to wail. Inuyasha hugged her tightly and let her cry into his chest. Kagome was crying so loudly that Sango, Miroku and Koga had come in to see what had happened.

"Hey Kagome what's the matter?" Sango asked.

Miroku smiled. "Maybe she just needs some company." He began to reach for Kagome's backside when Inuyasha glared at him.

"Touch her once Mikage and I swear I will beat you black and blue." Something in his voice made Miroku back down. Heck it scared him. He had never heard anybody sound so serious. And from how severe Inuyasha's tone was he was willing to bet that the threat would be carried out if he did it.

Sango stepped forward. "What is she crying for Inuyasha? I've seen her like this."

Inuyasha's face darkened. "She just told me something that I think you should all know."

"Tell us then." Sango said. Inuyasha carefully explained to everybody what Kagome had told him. By the end of it, everybody was as shocked as he was.

"Kagome why didn't you tell us?" Sango asked. "We could have helped! Why did you wait so long to tell us what your father did to you?"

"I couldn't!" Kagome sobbed. "You have no idea how dangerous he is Sango! My father is nuts! There is no telling what he would have done! He might have hurt me to the point where I'm disabled or he would have just killed me!"

"I could have told you guys." Koga said. "I followed her home and I saw him beating her. I know this guy is crazy. It was written all over his face when I looked at him."

"I'm glad you told us Kagome. At least now we can protect you from him. You can stay with Inuyasha for awhile." Miroku remarked. Kagome was now officially bawling.

"So what are we going to do? He's going to find us eventually you know. We need a way to hide from him." Sango said.

"I have an idea." replied Inuyasha. "We take turns hiding her in our houses. Each day or two we switch her. That way her father won't find her."

"That sounds like a great idea! She could spend tomorrow at your house first since she gets a long with you the best!"

"Great idea Miroku. We'll start tomorrow." Inuyasha turned to Kagome who had finally started to cry a bit softer. "It's alright Kagome. Things are going to be better for you now."

"Thank you." Kagome wept. "Thank you. All of you."

And so it began.

To be continued....

I'm not kidding when I say it's begun. Next chapter is gonna be intense, centering in on Kagome's father again. Let's just say he's not too happy about his daughter running away. Keep an eye out for it.

-Randall Flagg2


	8. Father finds out

Quick update eh? It's time for another chapter. Now that Kagome is safe from her father, it's time for another chapter on him. Be warned it's violent again. I don't own Inuyasha or anything that already exists that appears in the story. Now read. And thank you for the reviews.

-Randall Flagg2

(1)

"Now. Not tomorrow. Yesterday. Not tomorrow." Isamu sang softly as he turned his car into the driveway of his house. God he just loved David Bowie music. Heck he loved most any rock music from the west. Ever since he had taken that trip to America seven years ago, he had gotten hooked on their variety of music. In particular he was fond of the songs and groups that had come in to play during the seventies and the eighties. David Bowie was only one of them. Others included Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, and so many more. He even had taken another vacation there just to buy a bunch of CD's for himself. Oh the songs were poetry, absolute poetry.

_"Time for day one of my week off."_ Isamu thought to himself. _"My job is always exciting, but it's even better to just kick back and spend some time alone. I just hope my daughter is behaving. If not I'll have toâ€ remind her of who is in charge again."_

Isamu got out of his car and began to unpack his groceries. Normally he would have asked Kagome for help, but he had decided to cut her a break for the day. Let her go on her way for awhile, as he would have put it.

(2)

Some time later, in the basement, Isamu sat in deep meditation. The room around him was wide and opened. Isamu had feng shuied the room so he could relax his mind easier. It was part of his martial arts which he practiced for three hours every day. Isamu had started practicing kung fu when he was twenty one. Now, years later, he was an expert at this deadly art. Besides relaxing his mind, it would ensure that his daughter would not be able to stand up to him should she ever get the urge. Isamu had some understanding of the human mind and knew that under certain circumstances and pressures a person could snap. He did not want to take a chance that what he did to his daughter would cause her to one day suddenly rise up against him so he practiced kung fu constantly so he could protect himself. Isamu was not a man to be caught off guard.

He stood up and advanced to a large heavy bag that had been suspended from the ceiling. Isamu stood in front of it for a few moments, then snapped his foot into it. The heavy bag rocked to one side. Quick as a flash he spun towards it and launched yet another kick before it even began to sway back. He flashed his fist out and it struck the bag. As it swayed back into position, Isamu danced behind it, spun, and struck with a back blow from his elbow. He turned yet again and did a cross punch. For an hour or so he continued punching and kicking the bag, running his attacks in one graceful string, moving as gracefully as anything. Then, tired, he stopped.

_"I must be losing my edge. I normally stop after an hour and a half. Or maybe I'm just getting old."_ Isamu thought. _"Nevertheless, I am tired. Maybe I'll take a nap or something."_

So he went upstairs to do just that.

(3)

Just as he reached the top of the stairs, Isamu felt something well up inside him. He couldn't put his finger on it but something seemed out of place. As if something had happened while he was gone that he was not yet aware of.

"Kagome?" he called out. "Are you up here?"

No answer.

Isamu felt his temper begin to slip. He hated it when she didn't answer him when he called. Heck he hated it when anybody did that. But then why would she ignore him? She knew what the penalty was for angering him.

"Answer me Kagome! I don't want to get angry!" he called out, not sounding angry in the least. If there was anything Isamu was proud of, it was how he always managed to keep his cool, no matter what the situation.

It was then he saw that his bedroom closet was open.

Isamu's eyes darted into the closet and saw with mounting dismay that one of his suitcases was missing. Odd. He did not recall taking out one of his suitcases for anything. The only thing he had taken out of the closet last time had been his clothes and briefcase. So why would

No. She couldn't have. She couldn't have dared! Surely his daughter had not done what he thought she had done!

Isamu dashed out of his room and into his daughters room. Frantically he began to search through her dresser. He normally did the laundry and he always kept careful count of the clothes he and Kagome wore.

To his dismay, there were not as many clothes as he had counted last time.

Isamu sat in stunned silence for a few moments, wondering how he could have been caught off guard like this, wondering just how in the world his daughter had escaped from under his nose like she had.

"She ran away." he whispered. "She actually ran away."

"_It's about time too." _whispered a familiar voice.

Isamu clutched at his head. This couldn't be happening. Not now!

"_From how you treated her it's easy to see why she ran away."_

"Shut up father!" Isamu yelled. "Just shut up! I don't want to listen to that shit!"

"_Didn't I tell you there would be a price to pay for the way you treated me and your mother?"_ the voice rasped. _"You always acted so tough all the time but now it seems that somebody has finally stood up to you."_

Isamu curled his hand into a fist and struck himself in the face as hard as he could. This time however, the voice did not stop.

"Shut up. Just shut the fuck up!" For the first time in a long while, Isamu was beginning to lose it. Even more, he rarely ever cursed.

"_You always were nuts, you know that? Over the years your mind has deteriorated until all that's left in you is-"_

"SHUT UP!!!!" Isamu roared. "SHUT UP, SHUT UP, _SHUT UP!!!!!_" Quick as a flash Isamu un-strapped his belt and doubled it over. He drew his arm back and swung if full force. The belt connected with his face, making a loud CRACK. A large, red stripe speared on the side of his cheek.

"Get out of my head father! You are not in me anymore! You are dead and in your grave where you belong so shut up and leave me alone!" Isamu swung the belt again and this time it connected with his arm, leaving another mark. He swung yet again, connecting with his face yet again. He was in a lot of pain, but he would not let himself cry out. This was not the first time he had done this.

Still, the voice of his father continued to grow louder and louder. Isamu knew there was only one way he would be able to quiet it. It would hurt tremendously, but then again, there was a price for everything.

So with one savage swing, he brought the belt crashing into his crotch.

Isamu screamed and fell to the ground, his hands cupping his groin where he had struck himself. Pain was surging through his lower body in great big waves. Isamu moaned and panted. At last, the voice had subsided.

It took ten minutes, but the pain finally began to dissipate. Isamu slowly got to his feet. His balls were still throbbing in agony, but nowhere near as much as before. Now at least he could gather his thoughts and consider what to do.

Call the police? No he couldn't do that. If she had enough courage to run away, then she would definitely have more then enough courage to tell somebody about him by now. And if the police found out about what he did to her, he would rot in prison for child abuse.

Ask somebody if they had seen her? No he couldn't do that either. The people on this street didn't notice much of anything, even if it came up and hit them in the head.

There seemed to be only one solution to this problem: he would have to find her himself.

_"How am I going to locate her though?"_ he thought to himself. _"I don't know of anybody who would have-"_

And then a voice whispered one word to him.

"_Kasamatsu."_

Isamu smiled. Now that he thought about it, that seemed like a good idea. After all, it had been the Kasamatsu boy he had seen looking into the window the day he had used the lighter on Kagome. Intuition told him that the boy knew something about his daughter's whereabouts.

"Of course," Isamu said aloud, "I can't go just yet. There are a few things I will need."

Isamu went to his room and got out his medical bag. He got out a plain white pair of latex gloves and snapped them onto his hands. They would be essential to avoiding any kind of detection.

Isamu then dug around in his bag and came out with a gleaming, sliver scalpel. Many times he had used this in his career as a physician. Now it seemed he would be using it again.

Finally he went to his closet and got out a yellow rain poncho. Like the rest of the things he had taken out, he would need this for later. And besides, it was starting to rain anyway, and pretty heavily at that.

Isamu tucked the scalpel into his pants pocket, put on the poncho, and went out the door. He had business to attend to at the Kasamatsu residence.

To be continued

That's part eight folks. I'm not going to tell you what happens next. You'll just have to wait to find out.

-Randall Flagg2


	9. The death of Kasamatsu Koga

The last chapter caused some confusion so I edited it. I hope the new replacement comes up. If not, sorry.

Anyway, you think Kagome's father is insane yet? I bet you do. Well now your going to see just how truly over the edge he is. Be warned there will be bloodshed. Now read.

And again, you have been warned.

-Randall Flagg2

(1)

Kasamatsu Koga walked slowly through the streets back to his house. He didn't mind the fact that it was pouring rain at all. Heck he liked it. Things always looked prettier in the rain. Tonight had been an eventful night indeed. Now that Kagome had told everybody about that bastard of a father, she could be protected from him.

Still, he was a bit envious of Inuyasha. He so longed for Kagome to stay at his house instead of Inuyasha's, but his better half told him it was for the better. And anyway, as long as Kagome was safe, he could be satisfied.

"_I'm going to miss you Kagome." _Koga thought. _"But it's worth it as long as no harm befalls you. One day I swear you will be mine."_

Koga mounted the steps to his house but stopped just short of the door. Something felt... well, _wrong._ As if something was waiting for him inside. Something dark and sinister, like a bogeyman hiding in a child's closet.

"_Stop it!"_ Koga mentally hissed. _"You're being cowardly! There is nothing inside there! Besides, dad's going to be back from work tomorrow! This isn't a horror movie so go in!"_

He turned open the door and stepped inside.

It was the same old surroundings as before. Nope, nothing new. A coat rack at the entrance, a hallway leading into the kitchen, a staircase leading upstairs and a corridor leading to the guestroom. Koga laughed. How stupid he had been to think something had been here. Nothing was out of place. It was all the-

A hand flew out from behind him and locked around his throat. Another hand came out from behind and Koga saw something silver gleaming in it. Before he could even scream a voice whispered something in his ear.

"Tell me where she is and I'll let you live!"

(2)

Koga tried to turn around, but the hand grabbing onto him was very powerful. It was wrapped in a latex glove, as was the other. The free hand suddenly leveled with his face and Koga saw with horror that it was clutching a surgical knife. Instinctively he thrashed his body and broke free of his captor. He turned around to face his attacker.

The man did not look familiar at first. His body was draped in a rain poncho, covering his clothes. He had long black hair, its color much similar to that of Kagome's. In one of his hands he had the scalpel that had been held up to Koga's face.

"Who are you?!" Koga snarled. "What are you doing in my house?!"

"I just want information, that's all Kasamatsu. Give me what I want and I'll let you go." the man whispered.

Koga did not recognize this man at all. He looked completely unfamiliar. Who was he and-

Then Koga looked into the man's eyes and felt terror close around his heart. He remembered those eyes. Those wild, Charles Manson like eyes. And in one second he realized this was Kagome's father he was with.

Koga turned around and tried to run, but Isamu caught up with him and ju,ped in front of him before he even knew what was happening. Isamu brought his free hand flying out in a cross punch, striking Koga in the center of his face. The sound and feel of the boy's nose breaking was remarkably satisfying. Koga screamed and clutched at his nose, blood already beginning to gush through his fingers. Isamu wasted no time and swung the scalpel. It cut brutally across Koga's arm, slicing open the bare skin as though it were paper. Blood began to pour out of the wound. Kagome's father crouched for a moment and then brought his foot upwards in a vertical kick. It caught Koga in the face, sending him flying a few feet up and then crashing back to the ground.

"Get up Kasamatsu." Isamu said. "I need to ask you some questions."

"I don't know what you mean." Koga said weakly.

Isamu grabbed Koga's head and brought it flying upwards into his knee. There was a sickening CRACK and one of Koga's front teeth fell out. Koga howled and fell to the ground again.

"I want to know where my daughter is, that's all. Just tell me what I want and you'll never hear from me again."

Koga felt his courage return again. "Fuck you." he whispered.

Isamu grabbed Koga up and grabbed onto the teenager's groin. "Tell me or I'll turn your testicles into jelly. I mean it."

Koga began to sob, but he would not give in easily. "Kiss my ass!" he said hoarsely.

Isamu felt around until he felt something round. He gave Koga's balls a savage squeeze. Koga shrieked louder then he ever had in his life. His testicles felt as if they were on fire. Isamu dropped him and Koga fell to the ground again, sobbing and wheezing.

Isamu kicked Koga as hard as he could. Koga sprawled on one side, screaming.

"Tell me where she is and I'll let you live. If you don't, I'm going to kill you. That's my final offer."

Koga finally gave in. "Alright!" Koga wept. "I'll tell you please just don't hurt me anymore!"

Isamu sat down in a chair. "Continue."

"She's at the Masaki house. They are hiding her there."

Isamu's eyes widened. The house of that boy Inuyasha? He was surprised that she would hide there. "Go on. I'm listening."

Koga spoke as best as he could. His body was racked with sobs and agony. "She's going to hide there for one day. Then they are going to switch her to a different house."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. Then they will switch her between the Mikage house and the Myojin house. They said they would do this to avoid you." Koga sobbed.

Isamu got up and began to go towards the door. "Very well then. Thank you for the information."

Koga began to cry harder. "Y-y-your welcome."

Isamu stopped and turned around. "Of course now that you know what I want, I can't let you live. Sorry but I can't take a chance you will tell somebody."

Koga was almost wailing. "You promised to let me live!! Damn it YOU PROMISED!!!"

Isamu ignored him. He went to Koga and grabbed the screaming teenaged by his hair. He lifted his head back so his neck was exposed. With one sweep of his scalpel, he cut Koga's throat.

It only took a minute for Koga to die.

(3)

When the bleeding stopped, Isamu found himself glad he had worn the rain poncho. Most of the blood had flowed onto it. He took it off, thankful he had worn latex gloves so as not to leave any fingerprints, and went to the kitchen. Just as he thought, there was a large garbage bin. He put the bloody poncho into the bin and went back to the door. It was time to get some rest for the night.

Just before he left, Isamu felt something wet and sticky in his pants. He looked down and saw there was a medium sized dark spot on his crotch.

"Damn it I thought I stopped randomly jacking off when I was a teenager!" Isamu muttered. No matter. The stain would come out when he did the laundry.

He walked off into the night, leaving Koga's body behind him.

To be continued...

Wow that was creepy eh? Now you've seen just how evil Kagome's father is. Keep an eye out for the next update.

-Randall Flagg2


	10. Sesshomaru's warning

Chapter ten is thankfully more pleasant then chapter nine. Sorry all you Koga fans. I do hope you read my warning on the story. It did say Kagome's father was nuts. Thankfully there will be no blood in this chapter. Enjoy.

-Randall Flagg2

(1)

She awoke slowly. For the first time in her life, she woke up without being afraid of what the day would bring. Ah, it felt good to be away from her tormentor. Kagome knew in her heart she had made a good decision to run away. Now she could finally have a chance at a normal life, not having to live in fear of somebody. Even more, she was with her life long friend and there was no doubt she could trust him. So, for the first time, she got out of her bed (Inuyasha had given her the guest room bed) without any fear and went to get her suitcase to change.

"_Ah what a day." _Kagome thought. _"For once, things are going to go my way. It's good to be free." _She had gotten out of her pajamas and was just slipping into her panties when the door burst open.

"Hey Kagome what do you..."

All was silent for a few seconds.

Then with a shriek, Kagome scrambled back under the bed covers.

"You pervert! Don't you believe in knocking?!!" Kagome yelled. Inuyasha's face had turned bright red. He would never admit it, but he sometimes wondered what she looked like under those clothes of hers. At last his thoughts (and secretly his hormones) on this subject could be satisfied.

"I um... uh I was just... uh..." he began.

"You what?!"

"I just... wanted to know what you wanted for breakfast..." he replied hesitantly. He was still in shock over his little sighting.

"Um, just could I just have some eggs?" she said, a bit more calmly.

"Sure. I'll go tell Sesshomaru."

When he left, Kagome finished dressing. This was going to be a good day. She knew it.

(2)

Downstairs, Masaki Sesshomaru was busy cooking eggs in a pan. He looked much similar to his kid brother Inuyasha but his face more stern looking and his eyes were much colder. He was much older then Inuyasha, about twenty seven years of age, but he still had his good looks. He was cold in personality, but not necessarily mean. He did secretly care about his brother, just not as much as he cared about himself. If only his parents had not died so long ago, he wouldn't have been burdened with the job of watching over his brother as if he were his own child. Sesshomaru had been tempted just to put his brother up for adoption, but something had compelled him to take over where his parents had left off. It wasn't kindness, but it wasn't just for the sake of it either. Either way, he didn't really care. As long as Inuyasha didn't do anything wrong, he didn't mind taking care of him.

"Morning Sesshomaru." Inuyasha said walking down the stairs.

"Hello Inuyasha." Sesshomaru said coldly. "Is your friend alright?"

"Yeah, she's fine. She wanted eggs for breakfast. Do we have anymore?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yes. I heard her from upstairs. I'm making some for her now."

"Thanks bro." Inuyasha sat down at the table and picked up the newspaper. As always, he headed straight for the comics.

"Inuyasha, do you ever bother to read the front page?"

"Why? What are you saying Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha grunted.

Sesshomaru sighed. "What is the point of reading the paper if you only read the funnies? It is designed so that a person can learn about what happened in the world and yet you just skip right to the comics. I just don't see the point in that."

"Well to each his own as the saying goes." Inuyasha snorted. "You should try not being so serious all the time and try laughing for once. You used to be more pleasant."

Sesshomaru glared at his younger brother. He was tempted to say a few choice words, none of them pleasant, to him but then declined. He definitely had no love for his brother, heck he didn't even like him, but that did not mean he was not willing to take care of him. He was not mean to his brother, but he wasn't exactly what you would call nice either.

Kagome walked down the stairs at that moment. Instead of her school uniform, she wore jeans and a red blouse. "How's breakfast coming?" she asked. Sesshomaru did not respond. He only continued cooking the eggs. Kagome had only seen Sesshomaru a few times in her life, but she had seen him enough to know that he was not very social. Kagome didn't mind. It was kind of funny the way he and Inuyasha were so different. They were like Yin and Yang. She giggled slightly at that thought.

"What's so funny?" Sesshomaru asked, his voice as cold as ice.

"Oh nothing. Just thinking about something." she replied. Sesshomaru gave her a distrustful glance, and then returned to cooking breakfast. Kagome sat down at the table next to Inuyasha.

"So how did you sleep?" Inuyasha asked, glancing between the newspaper comics and the girl.

"I feel a lot better then when I was... you know..."

"Don't worry Kagome. You're safe from that sick fuck now."

Kagome sighed. "You don't know him the way I do Inuyasha. My father can be very stubborn. He doesn't stop until he gets what he wants. And even more, he doesn't care about what happens to him. As long as he gets what he wants, he doesn't care if he lives or dies."

Inuyasha decided he would keep that in mind. A person who was that stubborn could be dangerous. Inuyasha had known people like that. People who were willing to die just to fulfill their own selfish desires. Oddly he thought of Haruko is FLCL snarling _"Don't get in my way or you'll regret it!!"_

A new thought came into his mind. A thought which bothered him to no end. He remembered Kagome saying her father was not just abusive but dangerous. What if he wanted her back? What if Kagome running away drove him further over the edge? Worst of all, what if he wanted Kagome _dead_? If he did, then he would have to be extra cautious. Abusive parents were all over today's world, but ones which were murderous were not. If Kagome's father was the second type, then he would have to be careful. Nutcase parents were nothing to mess with.

"Breakfast is ready." Sesshomaru said, interrupting his thoughts. Inuyasha's older brother went to the table and set down their eggs in front of them. Both of them ate in silence. For a time that was.

(3)

When breakfast was finished, Kagome left the room to take a shower. Inuyasha was just about to turn on the TV when Sesshomaru walked up to him.

"May I speak to you for a moment?"

"Sure." Inuyasha said, although inside he could sense his brother was angry at him for something. When Sesshomaru said he wanted to "speak to him for a moment" that meant he had done something wrong. Not that he was scared or anything. Inuyasha had never feared his brother. Disliked him maybe, but never feared.

"What did I do this time?" Inuyasha said, a bit irritably.

"I want to talk to you about taking Kagome in." Sesshomaru sighed. "I don't think it was a good idea."

Inuyasha widened his eyes. "What the heck do you mean?! It was a great idea taking her in!"

Sesshomaru shook his head. "Maybe to you it was, but in retrospect it was not."

Inuyasha began to grow angry. "It was I tell you! She's been my friend since I was little!"

Sesshomaru sighed again. He had his own reasons for what he was saying and he would reveal them soon to his brother. "That doesn't make a difference. This was a bad decision."

Inuyasha lost his temper and jumped to his feet. "Well what was I supposed to do, huh?! Just let her suffer under that bastard's hand?! From what she's told us about him we don't know how far this guy might go!"

Sesshomaru looked his brother directly in the eyes. "That is why this is not a good idea."

Inuyasha blinked. "Come again?"

"It's as you said Inuyasha. We do not know how far her father will go."

Inuyasha crossed his arms and glared at his older brother. "Be more specific brother o' mine. I hate it when people use vagueness."

Sesshomaru decided he would have to explain things more if he wanted to get his point across. So he cleared his throat and spoke.

"What I mean Inuyasha is that I'm wondering if she is right. She said her father was nuts, right? Well what if he actually is insane? That makes him much more dangerous then if he were just abusive. People who are both abusive and insane are, in my opinion, the most dangerous type of people. Because a person who is abusive and has also lost his or her mind might hurt others besides their friends of family. Suppose for instance, her father is this type of person, not only abusive but crazy as well. This kind of person might not care who they hit. They might hurt everybody who crosses their path. Even more, what if they enjoy hurting people? That they take pleasure in beating others? Then you've got somebody truly dangerous. From what Kagome has told us, Isamu might be this kind of person."

"Isamu? That's his name?" Inuyasha asked. "How do you know his name?"

"Once when I came to pick you up from Kagome's house I had a short discussion with him. He told me his name and a few other things. I'm surprised you haven't learned his name after all these years."

"Just go on."

Sesshomaru continued. "As I was saying, Isamu might be the kind of person I have described. Abusive, crazy, and above all else, violent towards others. Personally I think he was crazy before Kagome even told us the truth about him."

"What makes you say that?"

"When I conversed with him I always kept looking into his eyes. There was something in his eyes that I distrusted from the beginning. Something dark and ominous. Like he was nice on the outside but he was a sadist within. Even more on that same day, the longer I talked with him the more anxious he seemed to become. Both of his hands were working as I talked with him. With his left hand he was scribbling on a piece of paper with a pen and with his right he was squeezing a stress ball. The longer I talked with him, the more furiously his hands worked. By the end of it he was writing on the paper so hard the paper had torn and he had squeezed the stress ball so hard it had burst. And his eyes weren't just odd looking but worried. Like he really wanted me to leave before something happened. I'm guessing he was afraid of what I might find out."

"Well what do you expect? When your abusive you can't take a chance that somebody is gonna find out about what you do."

"Inuyasha, that's not the point. What I'm saying is I'm worried about what might happen if Kagome's father is insane as well as abusive. What if he wants his daughter back? What if he comes after us or finds out about how we're trying to protect her? All I'm trying to do is prevent further injury and possible bloodshed."

Inuyasha was silent for a few moments. Sesshomaru was right. What if Kagome's father was even worse then they thought? And what if he did try to come after them? It was unlikely, but it was still possible. Inuyasha would not let himself believe it was possible though. All that mattered to him was Kagome's safety.

Inuyasha got up to leave. "I'm gonna hit the grocery store. We're running low on food. You want anything from the store?"

"No thank you. My wallet is on the counter."

Inuyasha left the room. He would keep the warning in mind.

(4)

Inuyasha felt a bit more at ease. Kagome had decided to come with him to the market. He felt a bit more comfortable with her at his side. He had also decided if anybody tried to hurt her, there would be hell to pay.

He was still in his own world when Kagome exclaimed "What the heck is that?!"

Inuyasha snapped back to reality and saw something odd. There were police cars outside of the Kasamatsu house. There was also an ambulance. Deciding to see what was going on he went with Kagome towards the house. Just as he came on the lawn a stocky looking detective stopped him.

"Sorry kid but I can't let you through here. Something happened here last night."

"Define something!" Inuyasha replied.

The detective sighed. "Were you familiar with the Kasamatsu family in any way?"

"Yeah I knew Koga. Why?"

"He was found murdered last night. Somebody broke into his house, beat the shit out of him and then cut his throat. We're looking over the house now to see if we can find any clues or anything."

Inuyasha was too shocked to speak. He wanted to feel joy but instead he felt sadness. He had hated Koga from day one, so why would he be feeling sorry for the loudmouth? God may knew, he did not.

Two people came out of the front door with a stretcher. It was covered by a white sheet, stained with crimson. From beneath the sheet dangled an arm. Inuyasha thought of a David Bowie song that went _"Poor soul. Spit upon that poor soul. He never knew what hit him. And it hit him so."_

From behind him, Kagome began to weep. "Inuyasha." she whispered. "We're in trouble."

"Why do you say that?"

"He was killed after learned about my father Inuyasha, and I told you my father was dangerous didn't I? You don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out the situation."

Inuyasha felt realization and a wave of fear wash over him. He remembered what Sesshomaru had told him too.

Masaki Inuyasha wondered for the first time if he had gotten in over his head.

To be continued...

WARNING!!! WARNING!!!! YOU MUST READ THIS!!!! The next chapter is going to be on Isamu again and from how dark the next one is going to be I might have to up the rating from PG-13 to R. Keep that in mind when the update comes. If you can't find it in the PG-13 section, look in the R section. You have been warned.

-Randall Flagg2


	11. Dark Past, Dark Mind

For reasons which you will soon find out about, I've had to upgrade the rating from PG-13 to R. You wonder why Kagome's father is so whacked out? Well you're gonna find out because this chapter explains his past. Hope you can handle it! You have been warned.

-Randall Flagg2

(1)

They did not know just how out of control Kagome's father really was. And as some would say, perhaps it was better left that way. Human minds all have a bit of darkness in them no matter how kind they may be. Sometimes it was buried deep underneath, and other times it was close to the surface. Either way, all minds have a bit of darkness in them, just as they have light.

Isamu knew he was crazy and he accepted that with open arms. He summed up his life in four words: one big mental deterioration. Throughout his life Isamu had just continued to slip further and further away from reality until he could barely control himself. Oh well. He didn't really care. As far as he was concerned, the world had better just get used to him and people like him because people like him were all over the place.

Isamu sat in his house, reflecting on his life up to this point. His life had not been pretty, but he didn't think about it much. Okay maybe he thought about it a little. Ah heck with it, it haunted him day and night.

Isamu clutched at his head with both of his hands. He could remember everything he had heard, said and done with perfect clarity.

(2)

Isamu had been born on October fourteenth, nineteen sixty. He was the only child of Higurashi Arata, his father, and Higurashi Izumi, his mother. His parents had been very loving, very kind people. Just the kind of parents a child could long for. Up until he was five years old, Isamu had loved his parents dearly as much as they loved him. He had been a good child for awhile, doing as he was told and staying in line.

Then one day it all changed.

On his fifth birthday, Isamu had been given a stuffed dragon as a present. The moment he had laid eyes on this wondrous gift, something in him had snapped. He felt... different. And his first thought was _"It's mine. It's all mine."_ He had taken it and hugged it close to him, stroking it as if it were a pet. The entire day he had carried it around the house with him as if it were a talisman. He even went to sleep with it. That had been the start of it.

(3)

From that point on, Isamu had slowly, but surely descended into madness. At first it was minor things, such as selfishness or refusal to share his belongings with others. His parents had not minded this, simply figuring that this was just typical behavior for a five year old. Little children could be selfish after all. But little by little it became something darker. Isamu began to have trouble telling the difference between things you could own and human beings.

"_Every one of you are mine."_ he would think. _"Your mine and you had better start accepting that fact or I'll make you regret it."_ Isamu had not immediately started his violent behavior though. It had been a build up.

For a few years, Isamu had managed to keep control of himself, thinking that everybody was his to own. One day in fifth grade however, he lost it.

(Flashback)

_He sits in the back of the classroom, waiting for the teacher to return. Isamu is normally only an average worker in school, but his grades have been dropping lately and he wants to pull them back up so he's working quite hard. All around him his classmates are conversing for the time being as they wait for their teacher to return. He doesn't know why but for some reason the way they are talking is driving him crazy. Not in the way it's distracting him from his work, but it's the fact that they are talking at all. It's giving him a headache._

_Furthermore, these people are no better off then objects to be owned. Pieces of property are not supposed to act like humans. He realizes something else. He is growing angry. So angry it is taking all of his willpower to resist going over to a random classmate and just beating the shit out of them. He hates the way they're trying act human like he is. Just looking at them makes him sick with rage. He is growing so angry that his fists are clenched hard enough to draw blood._

_A slender kid with brown hair walks up to him. "Hey Higurashi, why don't you join in? There's plenty of time before the teacher returns." he says. Isamu's head darts up like an animal who has sensed danger. He is losing the urge to resist hurting somebody and quickly. His vision is becoming hazy and his headache is pounding into him harder then ever. Blood is dripping out of his hands in small droplets._

"_You okay Higurashi? You're sweating." That does it. Isamu cannot control his urge to hurt somebody anymore. As the boy leans closer to him, Isamu feels his fist fly out and strike the boy in the face. Before the boy can even scream he gets up and kicks him in the stomach. Oddly Isamu has never felt happier. For some reason he is really enjoying this. His vision is completely blurry now. He can barely see what he is doing. Heck he isn't even _aware _of what he is doing. _

_Then at last his vision returns. His headache is gone and that wild urge has been satisfied. He surveys the room and sees everybody has backed away to the back wall of the classroom. All of them look shocked. What had he been doing? Then he looks down and sees the boy with the brown hair lying on the ground. Both of his eyes are black and his nose is bleeding. He doesn't seem to be moving. Isamu realizes what he has done in a flash._

"_Sorry." he says quietly, and returns to his work._

(End Flashback)

That had been quite a day. Isamu could not really recall much of the rest of the day in school. Only that he had been sent to the principal's office and that was about it. When he got home however, he could remember everything. That was one memory he would have to the end of his days.

(Flashback)

_Isamu walked into his house solemnly, deciding he should sleep off what had happened. He doesn't feel like himself. Sure, he's felt like nothing was human before, but he's never attempted to hurt something before. This was definitely new. _

_Before he could go upstairs to lie down, a hand fell on his shoulder. He turned around to face his mother and father. They did not look too happy._

"_What happened?!" Higurashi Arata growled._

_Isamu oddly didn't feel scared. For some reason he felt at peace. Actually that isn't anything new. When people yelled at him, he didn't feel scared. Yelling was childish and immature and Isamu was not afraid of somebody who is immature and childish. It's when they talked calmly with him that he began to feel scared._

"_What do you mean?" Isamu asked._

_His father tightend his grip on Isamu's shoulder. "You know exactly what I mean. You hurt somebody and you don't seem to be sorry for it."_

"_Oh." Isamu siged. "That."_

_His mother looks appalled. "How can you be so calm after what you did?! Have you no remorse?!"_

_Isamu glared at his mother. "So what if I beat the guy up? He was out of line."_

"_What do you mean by that?!"_

_Isamu was tempted to explain how humans are no better then animals and that when animals try to act human you correct them, but he stopped. Something tells him that would not be wise._

"_Answer me!" Arata roars. _

_Isamu glared at his father, looking him directly in the eyes. "Does it ever occur to you that I'm not going to answer you and-"_

_That was all he got out before his father descended upon him._

(End flashback)

(4)

Isamu still winced at that memory. His father rarely ever beat him, but when he did, it was epic. He had been beaten so badly that he had been unable to move for the day. That had only been the start of it. After that, Isamu's mind had gone downhill.

For the remainder of the school year, and the years after that, Isamu had gotten into countless fights with his peers. Even the slightest thing could set him off. He hated the way people tried to act human when they really weren't. Isamu divided humans into two categories: animals on leashes, and vases to be admired. And he also believe that if the vase or animal tried to act human, you put it in its place.

That had only been half of it. As time progressed, Isamu's mind became even darker. Eventually he was becoming violent not just because he hated people trying to act human, but because _he enjoyed hurting people._ For some reason he relished every minute of the beatings he gave his classmates. Just the thought of his fist smashing into somebody's face was enough to make him smile.

As his violent behavior increased, Isamu became one of the most feared people in his schools. Even the teachers were afraid of him. That made him feel even better. Seeing the look of terror in their eyes never ceased to amuse him.

One day in eight grade, he had been confronted by his father again. This time however, things went differently.

(Flashback)

_Isamu walked into his house, knowing his father will be waiting for him. He wasn't worried. Arata didn't beat him to punish him that much. Most of the time his father just yelled at him and as stated before, yelling didn't phase him. Isamu advanced to the table where his father and mother sat._

"_How many times are you going to do this?!" Arata snarled. "Me and your mother are beginning to wonder if your diseased or something!"_

_Isamu sighed. "I don't need to listen to this shit. I'm leaving."_

_Arata went after his son and grabbed him by the shoulder. "Don't you dare walk away from-"_

_Suddenly Arata felt a burst of pain fly up his face as Isamu whirled around and punched him in the eye. He stumbled back, clutching at his face. Isamu stands where he is, his fist hanging in the air. _

_Arata glared at his son with the eye that wasn't being covered. "You little bastard! I'm going to-" but he stopped just short of what he is going to say. He had looked directly into his son's eyes and he saw something that had not been there before: lunacy. Isamu started towards his father and punched him in the stomach as hard as he could, causing him to double over._

"_I said I was leaving." Isamu whispered. "And if you know what's good for you you'll stay out of my way." His mother was looking at him with terrified eyes. She had never seen her son like this. This was too much._

_Hugurashi Arata looked up at Isamu with saddened eyes. "What's gotten into you?" he said, despairingly. "You've never been like this!"_

_Isamu said nothing. He only walked upstairs to his room._

(End flashback)

Yes that had been quite a day. Isamu's parents never told him what to do again after that day. They tried to remain calm around him, but Isamu only needed to look in their eyes to know the truth: his parents were afraid of him.

(5)

When he reached high school, the fights became countless. Everybody seemed to fear Isamu wherever he went. None of the teachers took action against him out of fear of what he might do. Students avoided him like the plague. Those who conversed with him suffered under his hand. But Isamu knew they deserved it. Animals that step out of line must be corrected at all cost.

Well, he was wrong in thinking everybody feared him. One girl did not. A girl named Saotome Miyako. She was one of the more attractive girls in the school and she for some odd reason she had a crush on Isamu. He could still remember the time she has asked if she could talk with him at lunch. Much to his surprise, Isamu did not feel hostility towards her. In fact he liked her.

So after some time, a friendship blossomed between the two of them. And after even more time, they fell in love. Isamu had never been happier, as was Miyako. Neither of their parents knew about their relationship. They would get in trouble if they found out about this. But that was of little matter. For the time being, they were both happy.

One night however, Isamu reverted back to his old ways and took it to a whole new level.

(Flash back)

_It was past midnight in the dark alleyway. Isamu and Miyako were the only ones there. Their relationship had deepened enough to the point where they had decided to consummate their love for each other. Not many teenagers in Japan would do this sort of thing, but every so often a rule or tradition is broken. And the time for breaking the rules was now._

_Isamu began to un-strap his belt. "You sure you want to go through with this?" he asked. "I'm a little bit nervous doing this."_

_Miyako giggled. She had removed her skirt, revealing her white panties. "I'm a bit nervous myself, but don't worry. I'm sure things will go smoothly."_

_Isamu had removed his pants and underwear by now. He is studying her body with the deepest of interest. She is so beautiful in the dim moonlight. Her body is slender, her hair shiny and thick. Everything about her is beautiful. _

_One thing worries him though. For some reason he can't get an erection. Why isn't this turning him on? Teenagers all over the world would pay money to see something like this. It's too luscious to pass up. _

_Miyako frowned. "What's wrong? Can't get it up?"_

_Isamu sighed. "Sorry to say it, but yeah that's the problem."_

_Miyako grinned. "Maybe I can help." She goes over to him and grabs hold of it. Isamu moaned with pleasure. It is absolute ecstasy. Yet no matter how many times she stroked him he can't get it up. _

_Suddenly he felt that anger begin to rise in him again. He is trying to fuck with something that belongs to him. Humans do not fuck animals. And all of a sudden he can stand it no longer. He grabs her, shoves her away, and wraps his hands around her throat. Before she can scream he begins to squeeze. Her eyes bulge and she makes a harsh gagging noise. Isamu is unaware that his penis is starting to erect now. He continues to squeeze until his lover is dead. Then he stands back._

_Isamu banged his head on the wall. Stupid, stupid, stupid!! How many times would he lose control of himself?! All because of his fifth birthday! Disgusted with himself, he picks up the dead girl and opens up a trashcan. He promptly deposits her into it. Then, without making a sound, he gets dressed and heads back for home. His parents are completely unaware he is out after hours._

(End flashback)

(6)

Isamu remembered that during that night he had had a terrible dream. In it Isamu was killing his mother and father. He was stabbing them to death with the antique katana they kept in their living room. Their blood was splashing him. He was bathing in it, enjoying every minute of it. Izumi and Arata were screaming. Isamu was laughing crazily. And-

Then he had woken up, trembling. He had never been so frightened in all of his life. It wasn't because of what he had been dreaming about or that he seemed to be enjoying the dream. It wasn't because the dream seemed like a premonition that he would kill his parents.

What scared him so badly was that he had woken up with an erection and a wet sheet.

Isamu sighed. That had been the surest sign that he was going mad. People who got boners from violence were definitely in need of straight jackets. Isamu felt like Charlie Decker in the book Rage, waking up with an erection after he saw his father throw his mother's corpse into his bed in a dream. And that was when his parents really began to get to him.

(7)

The next time Isamu had gotten into a fight, Isamu's father had simply talked calmly with him. Isamu had always believed that yelling was childish and immature. As stated before, when a person talked reasonably with him he grew terrified because it meant they were using their parental power the way it was meant to be used. That day he had grown frightened of his father for the first time. Isamu knew the old man could sense this because from that point on every fight warranted a talking to with Arata. As it began to pile up Isamu began to sink deeper into madness. Everywhere he went he could hear his father's voice. It haunted him to this very day.

That was only the start of it.

(8)

After Isamu graduated from high school, his parents had forced him into an arranged marriage. Isamu had been reluctant at first, but the moment he laid eyes on his bride to be, a woman named Nishizawa Akemi, he had fallen in love again. All of his reluctance disappeared at the sight of this beautiful woman. So, without question, he accepted her hand in marriage.

After the marriage, Isamu had taken up the two most important things in his life: kung fu and medical school. Isamu knew from high school that he wanted to be a doctor. He would never admit it but he needed the job to satisfy his lust. Ever since he had killed Miyako, he had been having wet dreams about killing people among other disgusting things. By becoming a doctor, he could work in the emergency room. And by working in the emergency room he could witness all sorts of gruesome accidents and scenes to satisfy his cravings for sex. Sometimes he even masturbated over what he saw.

Secondly, he took king fu in between classes. He had always been a fairly strong boy but by teaching himself martial arts, he could make himself even more equipped to protect himself and harm others who stepped out of line. Furthermore, it helped calm him and keep his mind cooled down.

Isamu had existed in perfect harmony with his wife until nineteen eighty eight. That was when he had gone bad again.

(9)

In nineteen eighty eight, Kagome had been born. The moment he laid eyes on his daughter Isamu had felt the incredible urge to hurt her. He had always taken pleasure in hurting others, and now that urge had arisen again. What was best about it was that he could do this everyday now. So when Kagome had grown up a little, he began to beat her here and there. He couldn't really give her the beatings he wanted unless his wife was out of the way though. And that was when his love for his wife whom he had never hurt turned to hate. He had to get rid of her to ensure he could beat his daughter the way he wanted.

It hadn't taken much to get rid of her. Isamu had simply taken out the brakes to her car one morning and what happened next had been inevitable. The car had crashed and burst into flame, taking his wife to wherever a person goes where they die. And from that point on, Isamu had begun to really crank up the beatings on his daughter. He had never been happier.

(10)

Yes, he could remember it all with perfect clarity. Isamu was crazy and he knew it. Humans were his to own and his only. If anybody stepped out of line, he would correct them. And if he was pushed far enough, he would kill them. It worked out perfectly for him.

As he walked out the front door to his house and began his walk to the Masaki house, he began to sing the song "Hotel California"

To be continued...

I hope you review this chapter. It's by far the darkest chapter yet. Now you know why Kagome's father does these things. All because of a stuffed dragon on his fifth birthday. I'll update when I can.

-Randall Flagg2


	12. Confrontation with Father

On with part twelve. I don't have anything to say. Just read it. Thanks for the reviews too.

-Randall Flagg2

(1)

Isamu surveyed the street, taking in scenery. No matter how many times he walked down the road, he never got tired of how beautiful the scenery was. Some trees here and there, plenty of houses on both sides of the road, and some bushes thrown in for spice. But for now that was of little matter. What mattered now was getting to the Masaki house and getting back his daughter. That was by far the most important thing on his agenda.

"_You had better be ready for me Kagome." _Isamu thought to himself. _"You had better be ready because when I find you I'm going to make you see Hell. And if any of your friends are there, then I'll bring them into it too."_

Across the street, a young girl was playing what looked like hopscotch in her house driveway. She was giggling wildly. Then her father came out of the house and grabbed her up in a tight hug. He was laughing too. He kissed his daughter and they laughed harder. Isamu's head began to pound furiously. The way they were laughing was somehow annoying to him and suddenly he found himself sick with the urge to run over to the man, spin kick his face in, punch him in the stomach and jam his scalpel into his eye. He was so unaware of himself that he actually took two steps towards them. The man must have sense danger because his eyes almost darted towards Isamu and he clutched his daughter a bit tighter.

Isamu stopped. _"What the fuck was I doing?" _he thought. He could tell from the look on the man's face that he must have been doing something out of the ordinary. No matter, he could counter that. Quick as a flash he smiled as warmly as he could and turned around to go on his merry way. It seemed to work since the man returned to playing with his daughter.

"_Man that was close. Almost lost my cool there."_ Isamu quickened his pace and began to walk faster. He was unaware that he was almost running.

(2)

Inuyasha glanced out the window with a sigh. He had sent Kagome off to Sango's house for safety reasons and for some reason he missed her. Why would he be missing her anyway? They were only friends for crying out loud! So why would he be feeling like this?

"What are you staring out the window for Inuyasha?" Miroku asked. "Something on your mind?"

"Oh, nothing worth discussing Mikage. Just thinking about things."

"We're pretty familiar with each other Inuyasha. You don't need to address me by my last name."

"Well it's my choice too. It doesn't really make a difference either way. We're still friends."

"Speaking of friends," Miroku said with a grin, "are you thinking about Kagome?"

Inuyasha glared at the black haired boy. "No I'm not! Why would I be thinking about her?!"

Miroku put his arm around Inuyasha's shoulder and smiled playfully at him. C'mon Inuyasha just admit it! You're thinking about Kagome!" he teased.

Inuyasha shoved Miroku away. "Shut up! I am not thinking about her! Just because you think about Sango so much doesn't mean I think about Kagome much!"

Miroku looked a bit embarrassed. "Well, it's true I do think about Sango a lot. I like her. I like her as more then just a friend Inuyasha."

The white haired teenager's eyebrow went up. "You mean you..."

"Yup. I sure do Inuyasha and I'm proud of it."

"Well good for you. Me and Kagome are only friends you know. We're known each other since we were little kids."

Miroku was just about to say something when there was a knock at the door. Inuyasha got up to get the door. As he approached the door, something in his mind warned him not too. It was like something horrible was on the other side of that door. Something that he should not tangle with. But it was just a feeling. Inuyasha grabbed hold of the door handle and twisted it. The door swung open.

(3)

Before Inuyasha could do anymore then wonder just who this man was, a question was asked.

"Excuse me, but I'm wondering if you can help me with something Masaki."

"Depends. What?"

"I'm looking for my daughter. She ran away from my house for some reason and I'm trying to get her back home. I was just wondering if you've seen her?"

Now Inuyasha was suspicious. He was only praying that this person was not who he thought it was.

"What's her name?"

The man smiled. "Kagome."

Inuyasha froze. So this was Kagome's father, Isamu. Inuyasha had not been expecting him to look so... normal. He had been expecting the man to be either a scrawny skinny guy with tangled hair, or a big muscular guy with a nasty looking face. This guy did not look like an abuser at all. He looked as normal as anybody.

Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He was torn in two directions. On one side he wanted to just slam the door in Isamu's face and leave it at that. That was the sensible thing to do. On the other side he wanted to just grab Kagome's father by the hair and beat the shit out of him in retribution for what he had done to Kagome. That was what he wanted to do.

Before he could make a decision, Isamu's hand shot out and clamped brutally around his throat. Inuyasha gagged and his vision went blurry from lack of oxygen. Through his haze, Inuyasha looked directly into Isamu's eyes. If he had been able to draw breath, he would have screamed. Those eyes were anything but normal. They were crazy eyes. Animal eyes. There was nothing but pure, unrestrained lunacy in those eyes.

"Come on Masaki, I'm sure you know. All you have to do is tell me."

Miroku rushed at Isamu, determined to help Inuyasha get away from him. He had seen the entire ordeal from the other room.

"Let go of him you-"

Just as Miroku got behind Inuyasha, Isamu dropped him and spun around. Isamu's foot collided with Miroku's face, sending him falling onto his back.

"Answer me." Isamu said blandly. "Tell me where she is."

"Fuck off." Inuyasha grunted, getting to his feet.

Isamu crouched to launch another kick when something stopped him. That look in the white haired boy's eyes. There was something familiar about them. Something that looked...

And then Isamu suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Sick enough to vomit. He realized that look within a few short seconds. How could he have missed it?

It was the look of his father.

Miroku got to his feet, blood drizzling from his nose. Inuyasha finally got his wind back and held up his fists in a boxing stance. Isamu regarded them for sometime, wondering whether he should attack or run. In the end, he chose the latter. He was not however, going down without grace.

In a simple turn that was almost a spin, Isamu began to walk off. Inuyasha and Miroku were puzzled. First Kagome's father had wanted to fight, and now he was turning to leave? What was up with him?

"I'll let you go for now Masaki." Inuyasha said over his shoulder. "But the next time will be different. If you try to hide my daughter from me anymore, I will show you no mercy." That was all.

(4)

Inuyasha brought Miroku a box of Kleenex. "You okay?"

Miroku took a wad of Kleenex and held it against his nose. It was still bleeding, but not as badly as before. "Thanks Inuyasha. That was a close call."

"I'm really worried now Mikage. First he kills Koga, and then he comes after us. I'm worried about Kagome."

"I can understand Inuyasha. I guess Kagome wasn't kidding when she said her father was dangerous. We'll have to be extra cautious now."

"Yes indeed. I only hope Sango's taking good care of Kagome."

Miroku smiled. "Oh I'm sure she'll be fine. Sango's a good person. Kagome is probably having the time of her life now."

Inuyasha smiled weakly. "I hope your right Mikage. I hope your right."

To be continued...

Hope this pleased you guys. Now if you would be so kind, please press the little purple button in the bottom left corner and tell me what you think.

-Randall Flagg2


	13. A day with Sango

Wow, quickie update eh? This chapter is thankfully, more pleasant then the others. Thanks so much to all of you for all your reviews. They really motivate me to write and make me happy. Thank you so much. Now read.

-Randall Flagg2

(1)

"Kagome I am so beating you!" Sango giggled.

"Oh be quiet! You know I'm no good at these games!" Kagome said back. Currently the two of them were engaged in versus mode on a video game. Kagome didn't know why she bothered playing these things. Sango always beat her, and she was not really a big video game fan. Nevertheless, she had to admit they were entertaining and she did love being entertained.

Sango threw down her control in victory. "Yes! I win again!"

Kagome sighed in defeat. "Good for you. Now can we do something else?"

"Sure. You wanna watch a movie?" Sango asked, digging through a stack of dvds.

"A movie? Why not? What movies do you have?"

Sango came out with the move Seven. "How about this one? It's one of my favorites."

Kagome sighed again. "You actually watch movies like that? You know I don't like thrillers."

"Well I do. They're really not so bad once you get used to them."

"Have I ever told you that you're a tomboy Sango?"

Sango giggled again. "Only a couple dozen times. There isn't anything wrong with that is there?"

"No, I guess not. Are you sure we can't watch anything else?"

"C'mon Kagome. If you get scared just do what I do. Just close your eyes and tell yourself it's not real."

So with some reluctance, Kagome allowed Sango to turn on the movie.

(2)

By the end of it, Kagome was squirming. She had never been a fan of gory movies like Seven, and the sheer brutality of the murders was a bit too much for her to handle. And the ending... well, let's not go there. The ending was too much. But Kagome had to admit the movie was well planned out. It had its moments.

Before either of them could speak, Sango's father spoke from down the hall. "Sango? Could I speak with you for a moment?"

"Coming dad!" Sango turned to Kagome. "Just do what you want for a bit. Dad needs me."

"Sure Sango."

As Sango left the TV room, Kagome yawned. For some reason she felt tired. So she went to the couch, laid down on it and closed her eyes.

"_I wonder what Inuyasha is doing." _she thought. _"I hope he's okay. He's the one who came up with a way to protect me after all. I only hope nothing happens to him."_

The more she tried not to worry, the more she did. Kagome knew that once her father wanted something, he would not stop until he got what he wanted. She knew that he was looking for her. She knew that he had killed Koga. And she knew that he would stop at nothing to get her back.

"_Please not him." _Kagome thought to herself. _"Please don't let him get Inuyasha. He's my best friend. I can't let anything happen to him. My friends are the only thing I have left now."_

Fear overcame her. If her father had gone after Koga, then it would only be a matter of time before he came after her friends. Kagome turned around so she lay on her stomach, buried her face into a nearby pillow and began to sob helplessly.

(3)

Kagome continued to weep into the pillow until she felt a hand on her back. "You okay Kagome? Something wrong?"

Kagome looked up at Sango, tears dripping from her eyes. "I'm okay Sango. I was just..." Her words trailed off and she sniffled. Kagome wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her blouse.

"You were thinking about your father, weren't you?"

"No. I was thinking about you, Miroku and Inuyasha. I'm worried about you guys."

"What for?"

Kagome sighed. "Because my father is the one who killed Koga."

Sango's eyes widened. "He what?!"

"Don't you remember the police cars that drove by yesterday? Me and Inuyasha were going to the store when we saw them at the Kasamatsu residence. A detective told us that Koga had been found with his throat cut. Thing was he was killed the night I ran way. It had to be my father. I'm sure of it."

Sango felt sick. She believed what Kagome had said about being dangerous, but she had believed that he would be this bad. If her father was not just abusive but murderous as well, they were in trouble. The only reason he would have gone to Koga's house would no doubt be to extract information on Kagome's whereabouts. Worse, that meant he was looking for her. Sango hoped and prayed that there would be no further bloodshed.

"Well, Kagome," Sango began, "if that's the case then we'll keep on our toes to protect you. I'm not just going to stand by and let a friend be hurt even more. If he comes by here, I'll give him what for."

Kagome smiled weakly. "Thanks Sango. I really appreciate all the help you're giving me."

Sango smiled back. "You wanna go shopping with me Kagome? I've got a lot of money in my allowance. We could hit the mall."

"Sure!"

Sango went to get her money. Kagome smiled, this time more happily. Aside from Koga's death, things were working out fine.

(4)

The walk had been pleasant. Kagome did enjoy walking somewhat. It was good for exercise, and just fun. And now they had reached the mall. Time for a bit of fun.

"You have anything in mind Kagome?"

Kagome shrugged. "No not really, I just-"

Before she could finish a hand fell on her shoulder.

"Well, well, I've got you now you little bitch!" growled a voice.

Kagome froze. She knew that voice.

"Hey Kagome what's the hold up?" Sango said, a bit further ahead. She turned around and her eyes widened. She spoke one word.

"Naraku!"

To be continued...

Okay so I left a cliffhanger. You'll find out what will happen next time. Hope you liked this chapter. Bye for now!

-Randall Flagg2


	14. Kidnapped by Naraku

Bet you didn't count on Naraku showing up, did you? Well he's here and things are going to get ugly. Now read!

-Randall Flagg2

(1)

Uchino Naraku stood there behind Kagome, his hand clamped over her shoulder like an iron manacle. A bit further behind him stood his sister, Uchino Kagura.

"W-what do you want Naraku?" Kagome said nervously.

"I'm going to pay you back for what you did to me you bitch!" Naraku snarled.

Uchino Naraku and Uchino Kagura were easily the two most dangerous people in Kagome's school. Well, had been was more like it since they had recently gotten expelled. Both of them had a bad history of violent behavior and mental illness. They were both feared by most of the students. Even some of the teachers feared them. Naraku and Kagura had been transferred to Kagome's school after they had beaten up one of their teachers. Both of them had even been to juvenile hall once.

"What do you mean payback? What did I do?"

Naraku spun Kagome around so she could face him. "You think I haven't forgotten what you did to me and my sister?!"

"I don't know what you mean!"

Naraku grabbed Kagome by the throat this time. "You turned me and my sister in you fucking bitch!!! You think I wouldn't forget it?!!"

Now that Kagome thought about it, she did recall alerting the school authorities about Naraku and Kagura. She remembered she had overheard them planning a school shooting. Naraku and Kagura had gotten caught before they could carry out what they were planning and as a result, had been expelled. Kagome understood what Naraku meant now.

Sango stepped forward to defend her friend. "Let him go Uchino! I'm warning you!"

"Who do you think you are Myojin?!" Kagura growled, stepping towards her. "This doesn't concern you so just butt out!"

Sango felt her hands curl into fists. "Let her go right now! Whatever you mean to do with her, I have no intention of letting you get away with it!"

Kagura adjusted her denim jacket and turned to her older brother. "You take her back to our house Naraku. I'll take care of this slime."

"No. I think I'll watch you take care of her first." Then he turned to Kagome. "Now for you, cunt."

Before Kagome even knew what was happening, Naraku seized her head with both hands, reared his own back, and brought his head crashing brutally into hers. Kagome shuddered and fell to the ground in a heap.

"Kagome no!!" Sango yelled. She ran towards her friend but Kagura seized her and flung her onto the ground.

"I told you to stay out of this, didn't I?" Kagura asked, her voice surprisingly calm.

But Sango was not going down without a fight. She sprang to her feet and launched a swift kick at Kagura. It caught her off guard and sent her sprawling on the ground. Kagura jumped to her feet, just as Sango kicked her again. This time she dodged. Before Sango could strike again, Kagura reached into her coat pocket and came out with a switchblade knife and flicked it open. That stopped Sango cold.

Kagura smiled lazily and waved the knife back and forth. "You want some of this? You want some you bitch?! If you keep coming your gonna get some!"

Sango was between a rock and a hard place. Either she could fight these two goons and die or just get seriously injured, or she could flee and let them get away with Kagome. Pick one or the other. Do you want door number one or door number two? What a-

Sango had apparently forgotten to watch herself as she considered her options Kagura jumped at her and with one swing of her arm, slashed Sango across the stomach. Sango gasped and crumpled to the ground, clutching at her stomach. The cut was quite deep, as her blouse was already soaked with blood.

Kagura closed the knife and placed it back in the pocket of her jacket. Then she turned to her brother. "C'mon Naraku! Let's blow this joint!"

Naraku, who was sitting on the seat of a black motorcycle, nodded. Kagome had been slung over his shoulder. Kagura got on the back and the duo sped off. Sango only caught a glimpse of them before she blacked out.

(2)

Sometime later, Sango came too. She slowly got to her feet, trying her best to deal with the pain. Everytime she tried to move, a paralyzing pain shot up through her midsection. Kagura had really gotten her good. Mercifully, the bleeding had stopped. Now that she looked at it, the cut wasn't as deep as she had first thought it to be, but it was nowhere near being shallow. She might need to get stitches if she was unlucky.

"_Just my luck" _Sango thought. _"I take Kagome on a shopping trip and she gets kidnapped by Naraku. God knows what he's gonna do to her. I've got to tell Inuyasha."_

Limping slightly, Sango started back to find her friends.

(3)

Masaki Inuyasha was busy reading a magazine when there was a knock at the door.

"_Now who could that be? I swear if it's Kagome's god damn father I'm going to pulverize him! He's not going to get the better of me this time!"_

But when he opened the door, he was greeted by a most horrific sight.

There was Sango, standing in the doorway. She looked like she was having trouble standing since she was tilted crookedly on one leg. Her arm had grabbed hold of the doorway for balance. Her other arm was covering her stomach which was drenched with blood.

"Inuyasha you have to get Miroku and come with me!"

"What is it?! What's wrong?!" Inuyasha asked.

"It's Kagome Inuyasha! Naraku and Kagura kidnapped her!"

Inuyasha was out the door before she could even tell him what had happened.

To be continued...

Kagome is in deep trouble with Naraku and Kagura on her case. Keep an eye out for the update!

-Randall Flagg2


	15. Am I losing it?

Ah, finally got an idea for part fifteen. Now that Naraku has Kagome, what's he planning to do with her? You'll find out soon enough, but you can be sure it isn't anything good. Well, you probably already knew that. Ah screw it, just read. Hope you like it.

(1)

"Inuyasha, wait!" Miroku yelled, putting a hand on his friends shoulder.

Inuyasha shoved him back. "Get the fuck off of me Mikage! Kagome's in trouble and we have to get her back! I'm not letting Naraku... do whatever he's going to do to her!!"

Miroku grabbed his friend by his shirt collar. "That isn't wise Inuyasha! Do you even know how dangerous Naraku and his sister are?!"

Inuyasha glared at his friend. "This isn't like we're dealing with Kagome's father! These two are just a pair of punks from our school!"

"Inuyasha, they tried to plan a school shooting! Why do you think they got expelled?!"

Inuyasha sighed. "Okay fine, so they have a psychotic streak. They probably didn't even have any guns!"

Sango stepped towards him. "Inuyasha, look at what Kagura did to me. You think they won't do the same to you, if not worse?"

"I don't give a fuck what they do to me! I just want to get Kagome back!"

Even in this extreme situation, Miroku was able to make sarcastic remarks. Smiling he said, "It seems you have feelings for her after all Inuyasha. You gonna kiss her when you rescue her?"

Inuyasha could stand Miroku's jokes no longer. It was the straw that broke the camels back. The white haired boy reared back, closed his hand into a fist and punched Miroku across the face. Miroku cried out and clutched at his face. Mercifully it had not hit his nose, which was in bad enough shape after the confrontation with Isamu.

"Stop it with the fucking jokes already! This isn't a laughing matter! Attempt to be serious for once!"

Miroku rubbed his face. "Gomen nasai." he said, rather quietly.

"Come on Mikage. Are you going to help me, or not? I need all the help I can get."

Miroku smiled again. "First things first, we need to get Sango inside. She's in no shape to help us with her cut."

Sango blushed. "Aw, thanks Miroku." she giggled. Miroku began to take her inside, but the moment they got through the doorway, Miroku's hand slipped downwards onto her backside. Inuyasha knew what was going to happen in an instant.

SLAP!!! "HENTAI!!!"

Miroku suddenly had a large, red handprint on his face.

Inuyasha grew more worried by the minute. Kagome was in dire straights as long as she was in Naraku's grasp. Anything could happen.

"_First Koga dies, then we get attacked by Kagome's father, now she gets kidnapped by Naraku of all people! How did that Buffalo Springfield song go? Stop, hey, what's that sound. Everybody look what's going down."_

Song go, Sango, it was kinda funny the way that sounded so similar. Inuyasha giggled a bit. Song go, how did that Sango? Ha ha ha, again it was funny, even though the situation was no laughing matter. But why was he laughing anyway? But then again it was good to laugh, yeah, laughter was good for the body and soul. Just as good as a warm bowl of chicken soup with crackers, yum yum. But then-

"Inuyasha is something wrong?" Miroku asked. Inuyasha's eyes had become troubled and ever so slightly vacant. That worried him since Inuyasha rarely ever spaced out. He was always so under control (well, except when he got angry in which case he could sometimes be a real wildcat).

Inuyasha snapped back to reality at his friend's voice. What had he been doing? Furthermore, why had he been acting the he had been? That had been friggen weird.

"I said is something wrong?"

"No!" Inuyasha said quickly. "I'm fine."

Miroku regarded Inuyasha for a moment, then helped Sango go upstairs.

(2)

After Miroku had taken Sango upstairs, he came back down. Inuyasha looked rather anxious.

"What took you so long? Sango looked bad, but not that bad. Did she need help with the stairs or something?"

"No. I just called the police. Their going to come to Naraku's house. I told them everything."

Inuyasha began to walk off. "Then let's go. Kagome needs our help."

"Inuyasha no! Let the police handle this!"

Inuyasha looked grimly over his shoulder. "They won't make it in time Mikage. Now let's go."

Reluctantly, Miroku followed his friend.

"_Please God let Kagome be okay! If anything happens to her I'll never forgive myself! And as for you Naraku... God help you if you've hurt Kagome. I swore to protect her ever since she told me about her father and I'm not going to let anything happen to her!"_

Somewhere in the trees, a bird chirped. Again Inuyasha thought: _Stop, hey, what's that sound. Everybody look what's going down._

To be continued...

As you can see, Inuyasha isn't quite himself. Does he have feelings for Kagome? Like I'm gonna tell you that. Just keep an eye out for the update.

-Randall Flagg2


	16. Rescue

Can Inuyasha and Miroku make it in time? Just read the darn thing. Things are gonna get ugly!

-Randall Flagg2

(1)

Both of them were running as fast as they could. They both new where Naraku's residence, which would make it easy to find Kagome. Finding Kagome was top priority above all else. Inuyasha would never forgive himself if something happened to her. Even more, he would never forgive Naraku if something happened.

"_Kagome and me have known each other since we were little! I can't let anything happen to her!"_

Inuyasha suddenly skidded to a halt. An image had appeared in front of him. That day he had seen Koga's body taken away after he had been savagely murdered by Kagome's sick father. He could see in front of him the image of Koga being carried out on a stretcher. Kagome was behind him crying, saying that she knew her father was behind this and that they were in deep trouble. It was all the same as it had been on that terrible day.

"_Seeing things. That isn't a good sign." _Inuyasha thought.

Suddenly something different happened. In his mind, Koga got up from the stretcher. There was a bloody gash on his throat where Isamu had cut him. His face was a frozen mask of shock and fright. Inuyasha covered his eyes in an attempt to block out this hideous scene, but even that didn't work. Everything in reality was drowned out by this sight. Koga began to walk towards him. Stagger was more like it though. His body kept tipping from side to side and his legs seemed to twist as he came forward. Inuyasha wanted to scream but he couldn't bring himself too.

Koga stopped right in front of him. For a few moments he was silent. Then he began to speak.

"You'd better hurry Masaki." Koga said. "You'd better hurry because you're not only saving Kagome. You're also saving yourself. So hurry!" Then he smiled and Inuyasha _did_ scream. Thank goodness he did since the moment he found his voice, the image faded. He also became aware of Miroku's hand on his shoulder.

"Inuyasha snap out of it!" Miroku shouted. Inuyasha snapped around to face his friend. The image was gone completely, thank god. Inuyasha stopped screaming and caught his breath. He didn't know how much longer he would have been able to stand it if that image in his mind had not disappeared.

Inuyasha was a nervous wreck. He was trembling and sweating profusely. His eyes were twitching nervously. That sight had not been pleasant. Furthermore, it worried him. It was never a good sign when a person started seeing things. That was one of the surest signs of lunacy. But he wasn't going insane, was he? What sort of thing could possibly be traumatic enough to cause that?

"_No Inuyasha, you're wrong. You've seen a lot of horrible things lately. Do you remember Kagome showing you all the bruises on her stomach? Or when she explained how her father had been treating her behind your back? Or her father knocking on your door and attacking you? You've been through quite a bit, perhaps too much at once. And you have to admit, you haven't been yourself since this whole thing started."_

"Inuyasha? Is something wrong?" Miroku asked.

"No! I mean, no. Nothings wrong." Inuyasha said quickly. "Let's just keep moving. We need to save Kagome."

They resumed their trek down the road.

(2)

They had finally made to Naraku's house. As one could expect from people like Naraku and Kagura, it was very run down. The paint was chipped and falling off and the garage was filled with junk among other things. Also in the garage was a motorcycle (Naraku and Kagura's no doubt).

"Here it is. You ready?"

"Yeah. If we're lucky we can get Kagome out without a fight. Then we can just wait for the police to come and this whole thing will end."

They began to walk towards the entry door. As they drew closer, they could hear laughter. It was definitely not Kagome's laughter either. Inuyasha could feel something in him starting to give way. Something which had taken a lot of abuse and was getting ready to crumble, like the Berlin wall. All those images and memories threatened to be unleashed at once. Kagome with the bruises on her body, Koga's body being carried out on a stretcher, Sango with the cut across her stomach, all of it. He didn't know what would happen if he witnessed anything else as bad as the previous things had been. The laughter was getting louder as they drew ever closer.

"_Stop. Hey. What's that sound? Everybody look what's going down." _Inuyasha thought randomly.

He reached for the door and opened it.

(3)

For a moment, Inuyasha thought he was going to scream. In fact he felt a scream rising in the back of his throat. Yet he was not surprised he would be greeted by a sight like this. It should have been expected.

There, on the ground, was Kagome. It was clear Naraku and Kagura had done a number on her. Bruises littered her face. Both of her arms had jagged cuts on them. Her blouse had been wripped apart. More bruises were on her stomach. Part of her skirt had been slashed up, revealing a small bit of her panties. Her legs also had bruises and dagger marks on them. She was clearly unconscious. In simpler terms, she was a mess.

Inuyasha was just about to let loose with the screaming festivities when a harsh voice snarled "What the fuck are you doing here Masaki?!"

Inuyasha and Miroku spun around to face Naraku and Kagura. Here they were, at long last.

"You came here for the bitch I presume?" Kagura snorted. "Well we're not letting her go, now go back to where you came from!"

Inuyasha said nothing. He simply sprinted towards Naraku and his sister.

(4)

Naraku was not prepared for Inuyasha's attack. The white haired boy tackled him and fell upon him. Kagura was behind Naraku and was crushed underneath him and Inuyasha, knocking her unconscious. Inuyasha fell on Naraku and punched him across the face. Before he could get in another hit, Naraku somersaulted and flipped him off of him. Inuyasha charged at Naraku and fought with him. The two of them moved up the nearby stairs launching multiple punches at each other. It was amazing that neither of them fell.

"I'll make you pay Naraku! I vowed to protect her and I won't let a scum sucking asshole like you hurt her!" Inuyasha snarled, taking a punch to the stomach. For ten minutes, the two of them fought at the top of the stairs, trading blow after blow.

Then Inuyasha punched Naraku in the chest, knocking him back. Naraku stumbled at the brink of the steps leading down. Inuyasha realized just what he had done and reached out to grab him but it was too late. Naraku tumbled down the steps, head over heels. He landed at the ground floor with a sickening crack.

Inuyasha looked down the stairs with wide, disbelieving eyes. Had he really done that? He was hoping Naraku wasn't dead. He couldn't bear the idea of having the burden of murder on his soul. Even though Naraku deserved death for what he had done to Kagome, he couldn't afford such a thing.

It was then he saw Miroku checking Naraku's neck. When he looked up, he smiled.

"His neck isn't broken and he isn't dead Inuyasha! Just unconscious! So is Kagome! Their both going to be alright!" Miroku called from downstairs.

Inuyasha sighed in relief. Whatever was threatening to fall in his mind, was fine again. Kagome was safe. Naraku and Kagura were knocked out.

Everything had worked out.

To be continued…

It's still not over. Next chapter, things really start to intensify. How? Like I'm gonna tell you! Be ready for it though!

-Randall Flagg2


	17. The real nightmare begins

Okay I decided to get right to work on the update this time. Now that Kagome is safe from Naraku, things can finally cool down right? WRONG!!! You're forgetting about her nutcase father! The climax begins today!

-Randall Flagg2

(1)

POW!!! The heavy bag flew back as Isamu's foot flew into it with bone shattering force. Quick as a flash, he darted behind it and threw another kick, sending it back in the direction it had come from. Then he stopped. The training session had been a good one. Isamu had felt particularly tired that day, and the martial arts had woken him up.

"_Who needs coffee or tea when you have this?" _Isamu thought. He went out of the basement and sat down in a chair to rest. Lately the kung fu practice had been tiring him out more then usual. He didn't know if it was because he was getting old or some other reason. It was most likely the latter. Even at his age he had a lot of energy to burn.

"_I'd better take a break. I'll need all the energy I can for later."_

He went upstairs to take a shower.

(2)

It had been two days since they had rescued Kagome. The whole affair with Naraku was done and Kagome was safe. Inuyasha was more at ease now. He was just happy that everything had turned out okay.

After Inuyasha had knocked out Naraku, Miroku and Inuyasha had stayed with Kagome until the police had arrived. Kagome had regained consciousness a bit before that and she had started crying the moment she saw them. Inuyasha had done his best to soothe her, but she had only continued crying. Only when the police arrived did she stop. Inuyasha and Miroku had been questioned by the police for awhile, but they had made it out without any trouble. An ambulance had been called after that and Kagome had been taken to the hospital. After that, Inuyasha and Miroku had left and decided to leave everything else to fate.

And as expected, things had turned out alright.

(3)

"Kagome?" Inuyasha called from outside the guestroom door. "You sure you're okay now?" It had been a day since she had returned from the hospital. School would be starting again soon. But until then, they still had some time to themselves. Inuyasha was actually looking forward to going back to school. Then he could put this whole crazy vacation behind him. There was a lot about the past few days that he wanted to forget.

"Hang on Inuyasha, I'm still getting dressed!" Kagome called from behind the door. Inuyasha waited a minute for her. Normally he didn't do this, but ever since Kagome had come back from the hospital, he had gotten even more protective of her. Maybe it was for good reason. First Isamu, not Naraku. It was too much, too soon.

After what seemed like eternity, Kagome came out. She was wearing an unzipped sweater and a yellow dress. The bruises on her face had faded and the stitches she had gotten on her legs didn't show. She looked beautiful.

"Hope you're alright. You've been through a lot lately."

"For the last time Inuyasha, I'm fine!" Kagome said, a tad roughly.

"Can I help it if I'm worried about you?!" Inuyasha snarled.

"You're worrying too much! Stop being so nervous!" Kagome yelled back.

"That's hardly anyway to treat somebody who just saved your life!"

"Oh shut up!"

"Come on you two, knock it off! We're trying to watch TV down here!" Sango called, coming up the stairs. She and Miroku were downstairs watching a movie.

Inuyasha turned to face her. "Sango you should be lying down. They said you should take it easy after they stitched you up in case your wound opened again." After Kagome had been taken to the hospital, Sango had asked her father to take her there as well. The gash on her stomach worried her.

Sango smiled. "A little walk up the stairs won't hurt me. It's only lots of crazy activity that will hurt me. I'll be fine, so don't worry about me."

Inuyasha sighed. "You and Miroku can do what you want for awhile. I'm real tired so I'm gonna take a nap."

Kagome looked at Inuyasha. "You taking a nap? What's with you? You never take naps!"

Inuyasha yawned. "I just feel really tired for some reason. See you later." Inuyasha replied. As Kagome went downstairs, Inuyasha headed up to his room and lied down on his bed, not bothering to get under the covers. He fell asleep almost the moment he laid down. For awhile, his sleep was dreamless.

Then it began.

(4)

In his dream, Inuyasha was being pursued by Isamu, only the doctor wasn't dressed like a normal person. In his dream, Isamu was dressed in a black hooded robe, much like the kind the grim reaper would wear. The only difference Kagome's father had from the messenger of death was that instead of a scythe, he carried a gleaming scalpel. No matter how fast Inuyasha ran, he could not get away from his pursuer.

"You think you can get away from me Inuyasha? Well you can't. Once I set my sights on something, I get it. And I want my daughter back. You had better just hand her over, because if you get in my way, I'm going to make you suffer like no other person has. Nobody gets in the way of what I want Inuyasha. Nobody!!"

Inuyasha rounded a corner and was greeted by an obscenity. There, on the floor, was Sango and Miroku. It didn't take a genius to know they were dead. Both of them had their eyes gouged out and their faces were covered in slash marks. Both of their stomachs had been split open and their intestines spilled out. Multiple gashes littered their legs.

Inuyasha tried to scream but could not. He turned to face Isamu. The doctor's hood had been taken back, revealing his face, filled with lunatic joy. The scalpel in his hand which had once been clean was now dripping with blood. Kagome's father was smiling.

"That's what happens to people who get in my way. Look to your left." Isamu said.

Inuyasha turned to his left and saw what was there. He tried to scream but nothing came out but a hoarse whisper. He felt as if he would go mad if he didn't scream. He tried again and a groan came out, but he was still not screaming.

Hung by a hangman's noose, was a bloody skeleton. Normally that would be disgusting enough, but what made it so terrible was that the skeleton wore the same dress and sweater as Kagome. Clumps of her hair were still attached to her skull, but that was the only resemblance the skeleton had to the real Kagome.

Isamu was chuckling. "That's the fate that's awaiting you and your friends once I find you Inuyasha. You had better be prepared. And you had better wake up."

"Huh?" Inuyasha finally managed to speak.

"Wake up! You have to-"

(5)

"Wake up! Damnit Inuyasha wake up!" Sesshomaru almost snarled, shaking his brother. Inuyasha's eyes fluttered open and he wrenched free of his brother's grip.

"What's going on?" Inuyasha said groggily.

"I heard you from down the hall Inuyasha. You were saying 'no' over and over in your sleep."

Inuyasha looked at his brother steadily. He became aware that his cheeks were wet. _"Was I crying?" _he thought to himself. Then that terrible dream replayed in his mind and he could hold it back no longer. He clung to his brother like a little child and began to cry.

"Sesshomaru it was horrible!" Inuyasha sobbed. "You don't know what I dreamed! I've never had any dreams like this!"

Sesshomaru stroked his brother's head. "Tell me the dream. Maybe I can help." Sesshomaru would have added "Even though I don't want too.", but something held him back.

Inuyasha let go of his brother and wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. He tried to speak, but more sobs came out. Sesshomaru put his hand on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Inuyasha stop it." Sesshomaru said sternly. "Calm down and explain."

Inuyasha took a deep breath, and let it out in a shuddering gasp. At last, he calmed down enough to speak and explained his dream to Sesshomaru. With each word, Sesshomaru's expression grew darker and darker. When Inuyasha finished, Sesshomaru remained silent for quite sometime. Then at last, he spoke.

"For once, I'm frightened about what you said Inuyasha. I don't like the way this dream was played out."

"Me neither. I have a bad feeling about this. Do you think it was a… a um… how do you say it?"

"It's called a premonition Inuyasha. I call it that because I don't believe in psychic flashes."

"I don't believe in premonitions Sesshomaru. I still have a bad feeling, but I refuse to believe people have the power to see bits of the future. I think I was just worried about Kagome and it got to me."

"You might be wrong Inuyasha. Isamu came after you once already and he could do it again just as well. And if he does, this time he might not run."

Inuyasha covered his ears. "I don't want to hear anymore! Isamu is not going to come after us! That guy may be nuts, but he's not crazy enough to take all of us on at once! All of us combined could take him on at once!"

"Don't get cocky Inuyasha. Need I remind you I am the only one who spent a significant amount of time with him and I can tell there is something dangerous about him. It's true he attacked you and the Mikage boy once, but you only met him for a short period of time. I spent a much longer period of time speaking with him and I could tell he was forcing himself not to attack me. He attacked you only for a short time. With me on the other hand, he looked like he was building up for an attack. If he had come after me, he would have done a lot more."

Inuyasha would not admit it, but he was more frightened then he had ever been in his entire life. Heck he was, as the saying went, scared shitless. He couldn't bear the idea of Sango and Miroku dying, let alone Kagome. God, his life just wasn't complete without them! He cared for all of them dearly, even if he fought with them from time to time. He was overwhelmed with fear for himself and his friends. His face contorted and he began to sob again.

Sesshomaru gave his brother a wad of Kleenex. He looked more disgusted then sympathetic. "Stop it." Sesshomaru growled. "I'm going out for groceries. I'll see you later."

Inuyasha stopped crying in time to see his brother walk out of his room and down the hall. Okay so he was frightened, big deal. Despite how frightening that dream was, he still refused to believe his dream had been a premonition. He had never believed in people having the ability to see certain events before they happened. It was all crockery. Humans did not have psychic powers of any sort. They-

All of a sudden there was a sharp cry, followed by footsteps. Inuyasha raced out the door and down the stairs as fast as he could.

At the bottom of the stairs near the doorway, Sesshomaru was lying stomach down on the ground. Blood was spreading underneath him. But that was not what scared Inuyasha so bad.

What frightened him was that Kagome's father was standing in the doorway, a blood stained scalpel in his hand.

"Hello." Isamu said up the stairs to Inuyasha. "I've come to send you to Hell."

To be continued…

What will happen now? Sorry but not hints! You'll just have to wait for the update! The next chapter will be wild! Look out for it!

-Randall Flagg2


	18. You can't get away

The chapters just get more and more intense, and now things start to spiral out of control. Isamu's at Inuyasha's door and… never mind. Just read the chapter.

-Randall Flagg2

(1)

Inuyasha's eyes widened. Heck they almost bulged. So his dream had not just been a dream. It had been a premonition, just as Sesshomaru had said. He was only praying the rest of his dream would not come true. And even more, he was praying that Isamu would leave again. If not…

Miroku and Sango rushed into the hallway. Miroku suddenly grabbed Sango and shoved her back.

"Miroku what gives?! Why did you push me?!"

Miroku turned to her. "Get back Sango! That man is Kagome's father!" Sango's eyes showed that she understood and she began to leave the room quickly. Before she could get out completely though, Isamu caught sight of her and he dashed at her.

Miroku realized what he intended to do and tried to shove him back, but Isamu was fast and threw him to the side. Sango kicked at him, but he caught her foot and twisted it and sent her flying onto her back. Sango was no fighter, but she was still good at defending herself. She jumped to her feet and began kicking at Kagome's father, but he blocked each one of them.

"Don't try to fight me girl. It only makes it worse!" Isamu said. He had decided he had had enough of this pony tailed tomboy. As Sango kicked at him again, Isamu grabbed her by the arm and spun her around. He raised his scalpel up to Sango's throat and cut it savagely across it, leaving a bloody gash. Sango fell, and this time she would not rise.

Miroku gave a furious, piercing scream and launched himself at Isamu.

The moment Inuyasha saw the flow of blood from Sango's neck, he felt that thing in him again. He got that feeling that something inside of him that had taken a lot of abuse was going to snap. He didn't know what it was, but he had a feeling something terrible would happen to him if it did.

"Inuyasha…" Sesshomaru said from the ground. "Listen to me…"

Inuyasha kneeled next to his brother. "What is it Sesshomaru? What are you trying to tell me?"

"Get Kagome… to safety… Take her… to the Miyojin girl's house… Hurry…" Sesshomaru tried to say something else, but he blacked out before he could. It was all Inuyasha needed to know. He sprinted upstairs and grabbed Kagome.

"Inuyasha what's going on?"

Inuyasha glared at the black haired girl. "Your father is here Kagome! He just killed Sango! We need to get you to safety!"

Inuyasha had never seen such terror in a single person's eyes. She looked almost sick with fear. Inuyasha pulled on her arm, but instead of walking with him she fell over. Inuyasha stood her up again and she slumped to the ground again.

"Damn it Kagome snap out of it!" Inuyasha drew back his hand and slapped Kagome across the face. It hurt him tremendously to strike his friend, but it also worked. Kagome came to her senses and followed him out the door.

(2)

Miroku cried out as Isamu kicked him in the face again. So far he was having no luck against him. Isamu had clearly mastered Kung Fu, and that made him all the more dangerous. But he was not giving up until either he or Isamu was dead. Sango was dead and he had vowed in that second to avenge her.

Miroku was spun around by the force of the next kick and he saw Inuyasha and Kagome running down the stairs. Isamu also saw it and rushed towards them, but Miroku caught him off guard and tackled him. Unfortunately Isamu was not totally off guard as Miroku fell something pierce his stomach. Blood began to drizzle out of the wound. Isamu shoved Miroku off, and jammed his scalpel into Miroku's shoulder. Miroku howled.

Isamu grabbed Miroku by the throat and brought him close to face him. "I admire your bravery Mikage, but you should have known better then to try and protect my daughter. Nobody gets in the way of what I want, and what I want is my daughter!" Isamu grabbed the upper end of Miroku's arm with one hand, then the other half with the other. Then he snapped both of them in opposite directions.

Miroku's arm broke.

Miroku screamed louder then he had ever screamed in his life. Isamu crouched and gave him and uppercut with his fist. Miroku went flying back against the counter and Isamu stabbed his scalpel into the boy's kneecap. Miroku fell to the ground, screaming as loud as he dared. Isamu sprinted out the door after Inuyasha and Kagome.

(3)

Inside Sango's house, Inuyasha set Kagome into another room. "I'm gonna go check back and help Miroku okay Kagome? I want you to wait here and don't make a sound!" Inuyasha said.

Kagome shook her head. "Inuyasha please don't! I don't want my father to get you! You don't know how dangerous he is!"

"I do now! He's killed Sango and Koga, and now he's probably after Miroku! I'm going to help him and I want you to stay here! Do you understand?"

Kagome nodded. Inuyasha dashed out the door.

He did not see that Isamu had already gotten to Sango's house and was waiting on the other side.

(4)

Kagome was more frightened then she had ever been. Even when she had told her friends everything about what really went on in her house, she had never been this nervous. Just as she had feared, her father had come for her. First Koga, then Sango, and now Miroku. She didn't know if she could take this much longer. But the thought of losing Inuyasha chilled her more then anything. If he died-

"Hello Kagome."

Kagome froze. She turned around slowly to face that voice and came face to face with her father. As always, he looked as calm as water in a pond. Only his eyes were filled with happiness and lunacy. She still could not look into those eyes.

"I finally found you Kagome. I must admit, I'm surprised you eluded me for as long as you did. Those friends of yours must have helped you live quite a life. Well that ends today." A twisted smile crossed his face. "But before I bring you home, I'm going to really give it to you." He began un-strapping his belt.

"_He's going to whip me?" _Kagome thought. It was then she saw he was taking off his pants and underwear off as well. His penis was erect.

And she realized with slow, dawning horror what he intended to do.

Kagome tried to run away, but Isamu pounced on her with animal like agility. He pinned her to the ground and reached under the skirt part of her dress. With one easy motion, he ripped off her panties and lifted her dress up. He forced her legs apart exposing her pubic hair, the entrance to the interior of her body. Isamu leaned forward and thrust.

Kagome's ear piercing shriek might have been heard for miles away.

(5)

Inuyasha was heading back to Sango's house. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling that he had made a terrible mistake in leaving Kagome alone. Heck he had been downright stupid to do such a thing. Just as he was getting close to the house, a scream, shrill and loud, echoed out of it.

"_Stop. Hey. What's that sound? Everybody look what's going down." _Inuyasha thought again. He stopped running and flat our sprinted towards the house.

Now Inuyasha felt a new feeling. Not fear, or hate, or worry, but weariness. He felt incredibly tired all of a sudden. Again, every image and memory in his mind threatened to come spilling out all at once. And whatever was threatening to topple over in his mind, now seemed only inches from destruction. He felt like Louis Creed in the book Pet Sematary, slowly losing his mind as he was met with more and more trauma until finally it became too much to bear.

"_Please let Kagome be okay." _Inuyasha thought. _"Please let her be safe."_ Inuyasha gathered his courage and opened the door.

(6)

When he got to the room he had left Kagome in, he found her sitting in the corner of the room. Her expression was blank, as if she had been drugged. Her eyes were glazed over.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked. "You okay?" She did not answer. Inuyasha stepped closer to her. She did not even blink. "Kagome c'mon, stop kidding around and-"

It was then that he saw Kagome's panties had been tossed to one side. He began to realize what had happened, but he refused to believe it at the same time. He kneeled down and reached in between Kagome's legs, trying to stifle and erection as he did. When his hand came out, his fingers were wet. He sniffed his fingers.

The smell was not urine. It was sperm.

Rage washed over Inuyasha in a great wave. "ISAMU!!!!" Inuyasha thundered. "COME OUT AND FACE ME, WHEREVER YOU ARE!!!"

"Calm down Masaki, I'm right here."

Inuyasha whirled around. Out of the shadows stepped Higurashi Isamu.

To be continued…

I don't even need to tell you what happens next chapter. You don't know? This is the only time I'm gonna tell you the next chapter. It's a fight to the death between Inuyasha and Isamu. And what about Kagome? You'll just have to find out.

-Randall Flagg2


	19. Showdown

It's time. The climactic battle that will determine Kagome's fate begins now. As Haruko in FLCL would say "IT'S THE CLIMAX!!!" Prepare for an intense battle! Read on!

-Randall Flagg2

(1)

Inuyasha raised up his fists. He was not going to let Isamu get away this time. What he had done was over the edge and the doctor would pay for what he had done. He didn't care anymore. He wanted this man dead.

"_Don't think that Inuyasha!" _his mind screamed at him. _"You'll never be the same if you kill him! Nobody deserves to die, even somebody as evil as him! Be careful about the decision you make here!"_

Isamu laughed. "You think you can beat me? Don't be a fool Masaki. If two of your friends couldn't stand up to me, then what makes you think you'll be any different?"

"Shut up Isamu! Just shut up! I don't want to even hear you speak you sick fuck! You don't deserve to live!"

Isamu's eyes widened a bit. "Calling a person your not familiar with by their first name? Tsk tsk, didn't your brother teach you any manners?"

"Shut the fuck up!"

Isamu took two small steps towards him. His face was as calm as ever, and his eyes were blazing with lunatic joy. Inuyasha began to feel nervous. This man was capable of anything and he was not afraid to hurt anyone who crossed his path.

"You're ready to snap. I can see it Masaki."

Inuyasha tried to sound confident, but his voice came out almost a whisper. "What do you mean?"

"I can read it in your eyes Masaki. Your eyes show you're crying for help. You've clearly seen and experienced many things you wish you had not. You're stressed out and on the verge of breaking. Anything else and you'll go over the deep end, just like I did."

"Whaddya mean?"

Isamu smirked. "I mean you're about to become insane, just like I am. But unlike me, you won't be able to cope with the madness. I've accepted my illness, and you're going to have to learn to as well once this is over."

Inuyasha could bear it no more. He raised his fist back and charged at Isamu. Kagome's father waited patiently for him to speed over to him. He could see the muscles in Inuyasha's arm working, meaning he was getting ready to punch. As Inuyasha's fist flew out, Isamu waited until the last second. Just as Inuyasha's fist was about to slam into his face, Isamu casually turned his body ninety degrees, dodging it. At the same time, he brought his foot up in a side kick as he turned. Inuyasha was unprepared for it and caught it full force. He fell back onto the ground, clutching his stomach and trying to catch his breath.

Isamu stood over him. "You're too slow Masaki. You've got to be faster to catch me." Inuyasha tried to rise, but Isamu kicked him in the stomach again. Inuyasha fell back, panting.

Isamu took out his scalpel and began to walk towards Kagome. Inuyasha saw this and suddenly he had his wind back. He sprang to his feet and rushed at his opponent. Just before he could get to him, Isamu spun around and swung the scalpel at Inuyasha's face. The teenager saw it coming and ducked. Instead of slicing an arc across his face, it instead took off a lock of his hair. Inuyasha realized in a second that he had an opportunity to attack and swung his fist up in an uppercut. But Isamu had been practicing martial arts for years and he was all the more prepared for this. He caught Inuyasha's fist in his hand and brought his own fist flying into Inuyasha's stomach. He did this with such force that Inuyasha actually coughed out a few droplets of blood. But that was only the beginning of it. Isamu brought his elbow up into Inuyasha's face. There was a loud CRACK as the boy's nose broke. Inuyasha screamed. Isamu then brought his foot up in another kick and sent Inuyasha flying back against the wall.

(2)

Miroku was walking through the streets as best as he could. Well, walking was not exactly the word. He was more dragging himself then walking. Isamu had stabbed him in the knee and shoulder, and broken his arm making it difficult to walk. Nevertheless, he had to get to Sango's house as fast as he could. After he had been able to get up again, he had started out the door when Sesshomaru had regained consciousness. He had helped Inuyasha's brother to a chair and tended to his wound with the first aid kit from upstairs. Sesshomaru had told him what he had told Inuyasha and Miroku had been out the door as fast as he could go, but not before calling the police and hospital. Hopefully they would be there soon and then this whole affair could be laid to rest.

"_Please let them be okay. I don't want to lose anybody else. Losing Sango was enough."_

As Miroku limped through the street, he was unaware that he was crying.

(3)

Inuyasha gagged as Isamu karate chopped him in the neck. So far he had not landed a single blow. Isamu was clearly well trained. But he would not give up. He would defend Kagome at any cost, even if he had to die.

Isamu stopped in mid attack and spoke again. "You can't beat me Inuyasha. I came for my daughter, I'm going to get my daughter and your not going to stand in my way. Now unless you want me to kill you, just give up."

"I'm not giving up." Inuyasha said weakly. "I'm going to stop you at any cost."

Isamu sighed. "Very well then." Isamu stepped forward and kicked Inuyasha in the face. As he fell back, Isamu raised his fist up and brought it downwards in a vertical punch. It crashed into Inuyasha's stomach. For the second time that day, Inuyasha coughed out blood. But just as he was hurt, he saw an opportunity to attack. As he fell, he kicked out both of his feet. His left foot missed his target completely, but his second struck Isamu in the stomach with amazing force. Isamu made an "OOF!!" sound and stumbled backwards. He hit the wall and slumped down.

Inuyasha was grinning through his pain. That had felt good. Real good.

Unfortunately, Inuyasha had not counted on Isamu recovering so quickly. The doctor got to his feet and glared at Inuyasha. Kagome's father's eyes were now blazing with insane, animalistic hate.

"You kicked me you little bastard." Isamu said hoarsely. He grabbed Inuyasha and set him on his feet. He began not to punch, but to slash at Inuyasha with his fists over and over. Each blow caught Inuyasha on a different part of his body. Inuyasha tried to block the hits, but Isamu was moving too fast. Isamu grabbed Inuyasha's head and slammed his own against his. Inuyasha crumpled to the ground. The doctor began to kick Inuyasha in the stomach over and over again, each time harder then the next. Inuyasha was now in a haze of pain.

(4)

Miroku was almost there. He could see the house up ahead. That was good. Just a little bit further.

(5)

Inuyasha could no longer fight back. The pain in his body was too great. Isamu crouched down next to him and lifted up his head to face him.

"I could kill you here and now Inuyasha. In fact that's exactly what I want. I don't care if I go to prison for it. I don't care if I get the fucking death penalty for what I've done. As long as I get what I want, I don't care what happens to me." Then he smiled. "But I won't. I'm going to do something much worse." He began to walk towards Kagome, scalpel in hand.

Inuyasha's eyes widened and he found the strength to scream. "NO! NO DON'T!!!"

Too late. Isamu lifted the still dazed Kagome's head up and slashed her throat open.

(6)

Inuyasha did not know how long he screamed for. He felt he could go on screaming for hours, days even. All those images and memories which threatened to spill out were unleashed at once. He saw every one of them in front of him as if he were watching TV. And when all of them had passed, he felt… different. Changed. Whatever was threatening to fall in his mind, finally had.

Isamu laughed. "It has been done. Now-"

But he never finished. Inuyasha jumped to his feet, crouched like an animal, and sprang at Isamu. He moved with such speed that Isamu was caught off guard and he was pinned to the ground. Inuyasha saw the scalpel fall from the doctor's hand and he grabbed it up. For the first and last time, Inuyasha saw fear in the man's eyes. Good, good. That was what he wanted to see. Inuyasha raised the scalpel up and brought it down into the right side of Isamu's chest, piercing his heart. Isamu's eyes bulged and blood began to gush from his mouth. He made a hideous gargling sound in his throat, and then went limp.

Inuyasha stood up and looked at what he had done. So this was what it was like to kill a human. It didn't feel that bad. In fact it felt pretty good, kind of the way a person would feel happy after eating an ice cream cone.

He heard movement downstairs.

(7)

Miroku limped up the steps that led to the upstairs rooms. He had finally made it. As he ascended them, he could feel fear build up inside of him. Something had happened here. Something big. He could sense it. He got to the top of the door and opened it.

There was Kagome, laying on the ground in a pool of spreading blood. Isamu was also on the ground. He too was covered in blood. Inuyasha stood in the corner, looking out the room window.

"Inuyasha," Miroku began, "what happened?"

"I tried my best Mikage." Inuyasha said blandly. "I tried my best but I couldn't protect her. I'm sorry."

Miroku began to say something when Inuyasha turned to face him. In his hands was a bloody scalpel. Inuyasha's chin had a bit of drool on it and his eyes were blank, vacant and glassy. Miroku wondered what had happened, and then he recognized the look in his friend's eyes.

He was insane.

Inuyasha had gone insane.

All was silent. And the wail of police sirens in the distance meant that the cavalry had come, a bit too late.

To be continued…

There's STILL ONE MORE CHAPTER LEFT. You'll have to find out for yourself what happens.

-Randall Flagg2


	20. Epilogue: Inuyasha alone

Isamu's dead, Sango, Kagome and Koga are dead, Miroku is hurt, and Inuyasha had lost his mind. How will everything come to a head? You get to find out today. The ending may be a tad rushed, but it's still worth it.

This story is devoted to Maru-sha and Hiei'sFireyGurl52890.

Now read.

-Randall Flagg2

(1)

The police had questioned Inuyasha and Miroku after Kagome and Isamu's bodies had been taken away. Surprisingly, Inuyasha had been able to explain what had happened. Even in his new madness, he was still able to explain everything up to that point. In simpler terms, he spilled his guts. How Isamu had treated Kagome behind his back, how she had ran away, Koga being killed by her father, how Sango had also been killed and Miroku and his brother badly wounded and finally, how Kagome had been killed and how he had killed Isamu in self defence (he was lying about the self defense part, he had in reality killed Isamu to avenge Kagome's death). He told them everything.

They had started to ask something else when Inuyasha started laughing, hard. He didn't stop for a long time. In fact he didn't stop at all. Inuyasha's laughter continued to get louder and harder until finally he started screaming instead of laughing. His eyes were blank and crazed and drool was coming out of his mouth. Then to add more to this breakdown, he fell to the ground and began thrashing his limbs and body. It eventually got to the point where the police were forced to lace Inuyasha into a strait jacket and sedate him. When they carried him out, Miroku burst into tears. He was gone. His friend, and whatever remained of his mind, was gone. All he could do now was pray that things would go well for him.

(2)

After a period of time, Inuyasha was committed to a psychiatric hospital. He had been sedated when they had taken him there. When he awoke, his assigned counselor explained everything that was going on and why he was here. All Inuyasha had said was that he understood. After that he had fallen into another laughing fit. Once again, he had needed a strait jacket and a sedative.

(3)

For six months, Inuyasha remained in that hospital. Almost every night he would awake shrieking from nightmares where he saw Kagome being killed all over again. And almost every night he slept in restraints. His sanity had crumbled and it would take awhile to fix him.

Miroku and Sesshomaru had visited him at every chance they could get. They would pay their respects, offer sympathy, and say whatever reassuring words they could. Miroku brought him gifts from time to time. One time he had bought him three milky ways, Inuyasha's favorite candy bar. Even Sesshomaru once brought him something.

And just once, Sesshomaru wept for him.

(4)

_Seven months later…_

"Hey Miroku." Inuyasha said glumly, his eyes barely moving from the family room TV. It had been a month since he had been released. "What did you come to see me for?"

"I have something to tell you Inuyasha. It's-"

"I'm sorry Miroku." Inuyasha said quietly. "I'm just so sorry. If only I had called the police in the first place. Then maybe she would still be alive."

Miroku sighed. "There was nothing we could do. We tried, but things don't always work out."

"Don't say that." Inuyasha growled.

"This isn't a movie where the heroes win out Inuyasha. This is reality and things don't always turn out right in reality."

"It should." Inuyasha grunted. "It's not fair. She was my friend. I knew her since I was little. I never knew what that cocksucker did to her until awhile ago. How could I have been so blind?" Inuyasha's voice was rising, getting louder. "How could we have missed this?! It's because we tried to protect her ourselves that this happened! If only we had known what would happen! I won't ever forgive myself for this!! Even more I won't ever forgive _him_!!!"

"But Inuyasha-"

"Don't remind me." Inuyasha sighed, his voice calm again. "I still have you. As long as I have one of my friends, I can live with things and get on with my life."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about Inuyasha."

The white haired boy began to feel nervous. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I won't be living here anymore. A few days ago my grandfather died. I'm being sent to live with my aunt in America."

Inuyasha slowly turned to face Miroku. Tears were beginning to drip out of his eyes.

"Stop joking around, that's not funny." Inuyasha said, his voice wavering.

"I'm sorry Inuyasha. That's the way it is. I'm going to miss you." Inuyasha's lips began to tremble. A whimper came out of his throat. He refused to believe that what Miroku said was true.

Miroku put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's okay Inuyasha." he said. "Go ahead and cry."

Inuyasha's mouth opened, but no sound came out. For a time that was. Then he sniffled. A sob came out of his throat. Then another. And another followed that one. Then Inuyasha flung himself into Miroku's arms, sobbing so loudly that Miroku wondered if his mind was gone again.

"I don't want you to leave!" Inuyasha sobbed. "You're the only thing I have left to hold onto! I lost Kagome and everyone else and I can't lose you!"

Miroku rocked him. "I promise I'll write to you every chance I get Inuyasha. I'll send you e-mails too. It's all I can do."

As Inuyasha sobbed into Miroku's shoulder, he realized something even more terrible. Something he wished was not true. He remembered Kagome's words to him.

"_As long as he gets what he wants, he doesn't care if he lives or dies." _And Isamu had wanted Kagome either back with him or dead.

Isamu had won.

That fucking bastard had won.

And so, as the rain fell outside the house, Miroku rocked Inuyasha in his arms, letting him sob against his shoulder. Pretty soon, he began to cry too.

And somewhere, a young girl cried out as her father struck her.

THE END

And that's my greatest story. I gotta tell you something. I actually cried a bit while writing this last chapter. I'm sorry it had to end this way, but that's the way it goes. I do hope you've enjoyed the story. And thank you for your reviews. They mean a lot to me.

Oh and keep an eye out for the single chapter sequel. I don't know when it will be, but it will be eventually. It will be R rated and be in the horror/angst category. What's it about? You'll find out in due time.

And when I write it, I have a special announcement to make.

Sayonara for now.

-Randall Flagg2


End file.
